I'll wait for our non-dates several times a month in case you need me
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: Sharon is a mess and has no idea how to flirt with her favorite lieutenant without landing herself in a harassment seminar. Set in early Season 4. These characters are not my own. I just enjoy them. This story was an idea requested by several. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**This is in response to requests from people to have Sharon try to flirt with Andy. I've set this early Season 4, just after the first episode. This first chapter, in particular, is supposed to be a little choppy and harder to read because it's meant to reflect Sharon's current thought process. I came up with the title from several phrases that will continue to go through Sharon's mind. Hope you enjoy!**

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"Several times a month," Sharon sighed to herself as she sat at her desk looking out over the LA skyline and ran that phrase through her head once again. Her life had become a list of technicalities. Since she was looking out her window, she wasn't technically at her desk, but her chair was still in its same spot, just turned toward the view. She thought about shifting her chair, to another view in another direction, but that view would only get her in trouble. She threw a glance toward that alternate view, one of a certain lieutenant. Yes, that was a view alright, but sitting with her chair poised in that direction was a bit obvious, and right now, Sharon couldn't do obvious.

Oh, she wished she could be obvious right now, but it just wasn't who she was, at least not with dating. Yes, she was very straightforward at work, but with men, that was another story. Without a second to think about it and talk herself out of it, she picked up her cell phone.

"Hi, Andrea. It's Sharon. I wanted to see if you would like to go out and do something this week, you know, to catch up." Sharon finally took a breath, desperately hoping that Andrea would agree. Sharon didn't have a lot of female friends, but over the last few years she had been spending more and more time around Andrea at the office and could tell they had a lot in common. They'd been out shopping twice in the last year, and Sharon knew another outing was long overdue. Besides that, Sharon was determined now to move on from the Stroh mess. She'd put everything in her life on hold the last few months, and now that she was determined to move on, she knew she needed to repair a few friendships she'd let slide as well.

"No, I don't have plans this week," Sharon told Andrea. Sharon waited while Andrea checked her schedule. Truth be told, Sharon could and probably would have plans every single night this week if she would allow it, but Rusty's phrase from last Christmas kept replaying in her head like a record, "Several times a month." Rusty's comment, of course, was in reference to the number of times she and Andy would go out for the evening, or the afternoon, or really, who was she kidding, sometimes the whole day. They were just outings, she'd told herself over the months. Rusty always argued, calling them dates. Dates several times a month, in fact, Rusty had clarified over and over to her. He'd told her that phrase about dating several times a month as they had walked out the door on their way to the ballet back in early December, and she'd replayed that phrase over and over; it wouldn't go away. Sharon needed it to go away. The scary truth was that indeed, she and Andy were spending all their time together, and yes, she could see why it looked like they were dating.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

To date, you had to be romantic, something Sharon was certainly not with Andy. She'd kept him at her arm's length these past few months during the Stroh ordeal. It wasn't fair exactly, but life wasn't really fair at the moment. He'd just cornered her the other day asking what she needed him for. She'd explained the Julio situation, that she needed him to deal with Julio appropriately at work, but he'd pressed her for more. She'd relented with she needed him to be a friend, to get her mind off the past six months. They'd spent every evening since together, mostly going out to dinner. That phrase, Rusty's phrase, had snuck up on here again. Here they were, starting to pick things up again, not that Sharon had completely stopped spending time with Andy over the last few months, but it had definitely not been as frequent as it had been before the Stroh mess. If the last few nights out to dinner were any indication, Sharon could easily spend every evening out with Andy and not bat an eye.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

"You're free tomorrow?" Sharon questioned, making sure she could hear Andrea. She'd started to daze when Andrea had said she needed to check her schedule. She needed to focus and pay better attention. "Tomorrow is great, yes. You'll stop by the office, after work? That sounds great. See you then," Sharon smiled and hung up, happy that she'd made plans for at least one evening of the week that wouldn't include Andy. Except now, she was a little worried about that. She enjoyed Andy's company, and the two had talked about going to a movie this week. Now, that might not happen.

She should cancel her plans with Andrea because she'd already talked about a movie with Andy. She couldn't do that; it would mean Rusty was right. No, she'd keep her plans with Andrea, and she'd find a night to see the movie with Andy, or two nights, or maybe three. No, they wouldn't see the movie three times, but she was sure over the next week, she'd find three nights, no four, to spend with Andy. That's what friends, did, right?

Sharon shifted her chair slightly and caught Andy working on his computer. Oh, he was handsome, she had to admit that. He hadn't heard Rusty's comment that night, so he had no clue Sharon was stuck on the idea. In fact, Andy seemed to think the evening had gone well. It had gone well, actually, but Andy had thought the evening was going to be a disaster. Andy liked it when everyone was happy, and before the dinner that night at the ballet, no one had been happy. Well, Sharon knew she'd been happy, but things had been tense at work, partly because she enjoyed making Andy squirm. Andy was so uncomfortable about the awkward ballet plans, as well as her suggestion of dinner at the condo before the ballet. She'd enjoyed that evening, until Rusty's comment, but prior to that, she'd enjoyed spending time with Andy, of course, along with Rusty and Nicole as well. Over the last few months, the one place Sharon had been going with Andy had been Nicole's house, partly because she could take Rusty with her and keep an eye on him. That had not been the outings they had been doing prior to the Stroh mess, but Andy knew that Sharon had been on edge and wouldn't go anywhere without Rusty. So, they'd been spending time at Nicole's house. No, it wasn't family time because they weren't family. They weren't even dating. They were just friends spending time together. Sitting here now thinking about it only reminded her that Rusty wasn't off about his comment. Yes, indeed, they were spending time together several times a month.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

Sharon dragged herself out of her thoughts and turned back to her work. She couldn't focus and instead decided to make a shopping list. If she and Andrea were getting together for dinner, shopping would most definitely be involved too, and she might as well get some shopping done. She mainly needed to focus on Ricky's birthday, which was coming up soon. Luckily, he'd sent her a list, and she'd ordered the expensive items he wanted, but she still needed to get him a few clothing items she knew he needed, but hated to shop for himself. So, she made her list. Her eyes drifted to Andy. His birthday was coming up too, not too long after Ricky's, but everyone knew that she told herself. It was normal for the boss to know her lieutenant's birthday, right?

Sharon's phone rang, and she picked it up, "Andrea, hi again," she smiled. "Oh, tomorrow, dinner and shopping-at least that is what I was thinking. Anything in particular, no," she shook her head. "I do need to get a couple birthday presents."

Sharon hung up a couple minutes later. Andrea had called her back, apologizing for getting off the phone so quickly earlier. Now, with plans confirmed, Sharon decided to focus on work. That was proving to be a losing battle, as now Andy was turned slightly in his chair and talking to Provenza across the room. He had his hands on his head, and Sharon could see the muscles of his shirt. Maybe dating him wouldn't be that bad.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

Sharon wasn't oblivious to Andy's affection. She knew he cared for her deeply, and if she really could be honest with herself, the feeling was mutual. Andy had tried to get more information out of her the other evening with his "need from me" comment, but she'd tried to keep things as professional as she could. The truth was Sharon didn't know how to approach Andy and suggest anything more. He'd waited for her, now for years, and while the rest of the world could joke with her about dating Andy and how obvious it was, the truth was it was no laughing matter.

They weren't dating, but maybe Sharon wished they were.

So, she sat, wondering how to make that clear. How could she convey to Andy she would like to date him without it looking like she was harassing her lieutenant? She couldn't be THAT kind of boss. No, she had to be subtle, while getting him to notice her. Well, alright, he noticed her, but she needed him to pursue her a little and not just wait as he'd told her that too. "I'll wait in case you need me." That was another one that kept flashing through her mind. Umm, hello! She needed him to wake up and see what was right in front of him, a Sharon who was a confused mess, but a confused mess who maybe wanted to date Andy.

They weren't dating, but Sharon did wish they were.

What was wrong with her? No wonder Andy was clueless; she was causing a battle in her own head and unsure of anything she wanted. She'd started out this reflection by pushing out any ideas of them spending so much time together, even going so far to schedule an evening out with a friend so she couldn't say they'd spent every evening together. Truth was now, she just wanted to spend the evening with Andy.

Surely, she would have to discuss all this with Andrea. She just hoped that Andrea wouldn't suggest an insanity defense by the time the evening was over. Because, Sharon had decided that she truly was insane. She was insane for everything, for thinking that they weren't dating all those months, because they really were. Now, she was insane because all she seemed to want was to date Andy, but she couldn't figure out a way to entice her lieutenant without winding up in a harassment seminar herself. Andrea had no idea what was coming her way, a totally confused, insane Sharon Raydor. It was probably going to be a long evening.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sharon's scattered thoughts continue, but we are also moving into her evening out with Andrea.**

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"Would you like to see a movie?" Sharon replayed that over and over in her head, almost feeling guilty that she now had plans. She didn't truly feel guilty, but she hated telling Andy she was busy. Yes, she'd made the plans, partly to give herself something to do instead of going out with Andy ANOTHER night, but still. Not that it was a bad thing, going out with Andy, but she really needed to get a bit of distance. It was always fun going out with Andy. That wasn't the problem, but it was the problem. It was fun going out with Andy. She needed space, but she'd had space for the last several months. He'd given her more space than he'd probably wanted to admit, but he'd given it to her. She needed distance again. Now, she didn't want that distance because he'd done or said anything to upset her. It was quite the opposite. Sharon needed the distance because she wanted to be closer to Andy. That insane notion was part of her problem. She wanted distance because she wanted to be close to Andy. Yeah, that made sense. She wanted to get away from Andy for a night to figure out how to really get him to notice her. Again, that seemed to be totally logical, right?

The two clearly weren't dating, but Sharon was wondering what it might be like to date Andy Flynn.

Their kids had said they had been dating for months, really probably over a year now. It wasn't true because as Sharon rationalized, you had to be romantically involved to be dating. They weren't. Not yet. Sharon was wondering what that might be like. Their kids. Did she just think "their" kids, as in his, hers, even ours? No, that wasn't the case. Andy had kids; Sharon had kids, and when she was thinking of two people and children the two people had, it was just correct grammar, right? "Their kids" would be appropriate for people dating.

They weren't dating, but kissing Andy might be a good idea. It could also be a completely awful idea.

"I've got plans with Andrea tonight," Sharon had smiled in response to Andy after explaining she couldn't go to the movies. "As we have both discussed, I'm trying to move on from the Stroh mess, put my life back together, live."

"That's great, Sharon," Andy had smiled, a warm smile if Sharon were to judge. He seemed clearly happy for her, which was good and bad. Was he happy for her or happy he didn't have to babysit her another evening?

They weren't dating, but did Andy see her as just a mental mess?

"I'm really sorry we can't see that movie tonight, Andy," Sharon had smiled sympathetically at him when she responded to him. "Perhaps we can go tomorrow?"

"I've got my meeting then," he told her, "Thursday, remember?"

Yes, she should have remembered that. Andy always had meetings on Thursdays unless they were in the middle of a case. Even then, sometimes, if it was a rough one or they were waiting on something, he would often duck out. Sharon had given him permission to do that long ago, and even Provenza sometimes pushed him out the door, complaining that sometimes Andy was more depressing to watch when he needed a meeting than dealing with the victim's family. Sharon should have remembered that Thursday equaled meeting night. Because of that, she should have scheduled her night with Andrea for Thursday too, but she hadn't. Now, she wouldn't see Andy Wednesday or Thursday evening. It would be Friday before she saw him, if she saw him, because she was assuming a lot. She was assuming that Andy, sweet Andy, would want to deal with her another night. Maybe he was seeing relief in sight, Sharon coming out of her "Stroh time" and rejoining the world. Maybe Andy just wanted to stop babysitting Sharon and wasn't as interested in her as Sharon thought, as she was in him.

"We could go to the movies on Friday," he'd suggested right away, Sharon almost missing it as her mind wandered. Sharon had snapped her head up to meet his gaze. She didn't see distress or irritation. The Friday night invitation to the movies seemed genuine, seemed, but things weren't always what they seemed. Sharon was having trouble reading people. No, that wasn't true. She read people at work just fine, well actually. She was actually really good at reading people. She just couldn't read Andy, the guy standing in front of her, the guy she should be able to read now because she'd spent so much time with him.

Maybe she couldn't read him because he was closing himself off from her, a closed book so to speak.

"Friday sounds great," she smiled. "We can see that movie you wanted to see," she added.

He nodded, "Okay, if I pick the movie, you pick dinner."

"Dinner?" she looked at him with a surprised look.

Andy chuckled, "That's usually how it goes, Sharon. We go to dinner and a movie, normal stuff."

Was that normal? Sharon thought that sounded an awful like a date outing, but they weren't dating. No, that might involve holding hands or kissing through the movie. Okay, now that sounded like a high schooler, which is how Andy made her feel at times, making all this insane. She was feeling like a high schooler with a crush, meaning that it would pass. High schoolers with a crush didn't get the guy in the end. That's all this was, a crush on her lieutenant; she was a high schooler.

She wasn't a high schooler, though. She was in her 50's and divorced. She'd spent the last few years getting to know a man she truly liked and enjoyed being around all the time. He was kind, sweet, and she couldn't argue the guy was handsome. That was a given. He also did things for her, both at work and at home, without asking. He included Rusty, her adopted son, in many of their outings. The two spent time with his family and really, hers if she had to be honest. He'd been around the last time Ricky and Emily had come to town for a visit. So, what did one call a guy like that?

She wasn't dating because they weren't romantically involved, but it did look a lot like a relationship.

Andy didn't have a relationship with Sharon, not a dating one, but was that because he didn't want one? She didn't know how to find out, and that's what she needed to speak to Andrea about this evening.

"Sharon?" she heard and snapped her head out of her trance. She had been working at her desk, going over and over the conversation she'd had with Andy earlier in the day about the "no outing evening" they weren't having tonight and the set plans for the movie on Friday. She hadn't even noticed he was back in her office, the very same man she couldn't get out of her head, and here he was standing in front of her, most likely wondering if she was a pathetic mess.

"Yes, Andy, what is it?" she asked.

"Oh, well, here's the last of the paperwork for today. Provenza made me bring it to you. Are you okay? You look out of it," he told her, tilting his head as if to show concern.

"I'm fine," she shook her head. "Daydreaming, I guess you could say," she offered a smile. "Andrea should be here soon. Sorry again about the movie."

"Don't worry about it," he waved her off. "I am really glad you and Andrea are going out for the evening. You enjoy yourself and spend as much money on new clothing and shoes as you dare and then maybe even more," he grinned. "You can even wear whatever you buy on Friday to dinner and the movie," he told her. "Anyway, Provenza told me I'm taking him to the bar, which means I'll get a wilted salad for dinner while I have to watch him drink and eat the greasiest burger you can imagine. Even Rusty might grimace at these burgers. They are quite nasty."

Sharon chuckled and smiled at Andy, "You two have a great time tonight. I'll check on you later, you know to make sure you haven't been arrested."

Andy smiled, winking at her, "Sure, call me later tonight, anytime. I will look forward to it, and I'm going to hold you to it. I'll call you if I don't hear from you."

"Night, Andy. Have fun," she nodded before he ducked out and shut her door.

Sharon watched discreetly as Andy and Provenza left together, both offering a quick wave to her as they left. Okay, maybe she hadn't been that discreet in her stare if both men waved to her. Provenza waved? He must be sick. No, wait, he must really think Sharon is crazy too. Andy must have told Provenza about all the crazy things going on in Sharon's life, the mental mess she had become, and Provenza was only waving because he was concerned about his boss. Sharon shook her head. She needed to get Provenza out of it, and really, she needed to get Andy out of it. The two men were going to dinner like they normally did. She wondered what they talked about each time they went out, wondered if her name ever entered the discussion. Sure, it must because she was their boss. There it was again "their," but this time, it was used to talk about the discussion between two friends, not a relationship that wasn't a relationship between two adults, Sharon and Andy.

The man you like and his best friend wouldn't talk about relationship issues, would they?

Sharon grimaced at that idea, but she quickly shook it off. Andy wouldn't to Provenza because there was nothing to talk about, period. Andy and Sharon weren't dating, and they weren't in any relationship. They were friends who had recently started spending more time together, but that was only because Sharon had finally decided to start mending the friendships she'd let slide.

She'd let her friendship with Andy slide. Was there more to it?

"Earth to Sharon," she heard and almost jumped out of her seat.

"Andrea, hi," she let out her breath. "You scared me. I was just finishing up here."

"Seems to me you were daydreaming," Andrea smiled. "Where's the team? Did you run them out of here already?"

"I did," Sharon nodded. "I'm surprised you didn't run into Andy and Provenza by the elevator. They left not long ago." Sharon glanced at her watch. She thought they'd left not long ago, but somehow, it had been almost 15 minutes. She'd zoned out again for 15 minutes, but she couldn't admit that to Andrea. Yes, the guys had JUST left. She'd just leave it at that.

"Where might your dashing lieutenant and his best friend be going this evening?" Andrea teased, a small smile on her face.

Sharon gave her an odd look, "Dashing lieutenant? Andrea, I don't know if you need to say he's dashing."

"Ahh, right, I guess that's only for you to say," Andrea smiled again. "Might your daydream involve that lieutenant? I haven't gotten an update on him in quite some time. I think we need to get out of here and find a restaurant to relax and discuss the dashing lieutenant."

"What do you mean?" Sharon asked. She could feel the red creeping up her neck. Soon, she'd be completely flustered if Sharon didn't get Andrea off the topic of the "dashing lieutenant."

"I mean what is the latest with you two? I've barely heard from you outside of work for months. Sure, I've been here for cases, but you've been a mess. I know you well enough to know that Stroh's escape really caused problems and security concerns. You have tried to hide for awhile. I'm hoping that with this night out, you are ready to get your life back on track, yes? If that's the case, that would involve the dashing lieutenant."

"Andrea, there's nothing to-" Sharon started to say, but Andrea cut her off.

"Ah, ah," Andrea said and held up a finger to Sharon. "You can stop right there. This is me, your friend, and this is our girl time tonight. You are not going to hide behind whatever excuse you have this time for Andy Flynn. Those excuses have gone on long enough, and judging by the way you are fidgeting and playing with your hands, you are a nervous wreck. Come on; get your things. We are going to get dinner, talk, and eventually shop. Oh, and the talking part," she paused for effect and to make sure Sharon was paying attention, "starts now and continues until you walk into your condo later tonight. The main topic, and possibly only topic, of conversation will be Andy Flynn. No arguments."


	3. Chapter 3

The ride to the restaurant was quiet. Andrea drove, promising to bring Sharon back to the station to get her car when they finished. Sharon was more than happy to agree to the ride; she was quite the mess. Before they left the parking garage, Sharon turned to Andrea.

"I'd really like a glass of wine and something to eat before I dive into this," she said.

"That I can do," Andrea told her. "Rest assured I'm not bringing you back to your car before I get all of the story."

So, finally after Andrea picked a restaurant and they were seated with a glass of wine each, did Sharon take a deep breath and look to Andrea.

"I'm not sure where to start," Sharon admitted.

Andrea waited a few moments, believing Sharon would continue. When she didn't, Andrea spoke up, "Okay, here's what I can tell. Andy likes you and has for years. You do like him, even if you try to hide it. I've never seen two people flirt at work like you do while still being able to remain professional. The whole team knows something is going on, but they also know nothing is going on. You two have this complicated relationship that could be more, but hasn't been anything more yet. Something happened these last few months, and I'm guessing you pulled back with the Stroh situation. Am I warm?" Andrea asked.

Sharon closed her eyes and let out her breath. She opened them, the guilty expression very evident on her face. "I don't know where to go from here. Yes, the Stroh situation has had me a mess. I'm trying to move on from that, to not worry he's lurking behind the next corner. The case we had the other day made me realize that I can't protect Rusty forever. I've had a detail on him, undercover of course, for months. I just pulled that, and I am trying to put my life back together. This," she gestured to Andrea, "with you, getting out in the evening, is case in point. I had a long talk with Andy after that case too, some of it about what I need him to do at work, but some of it personal too. He's been hovering at work, and I need him to do his job and not worry so much about mine. I need him to work with Julio better than he was the last case. I clarified that, and then he called me on it, I mean our personal situation. He asked what I needed him for in our personal lives, and I told him I need him to be a friend. I need him to help me get my mind off the last six months."

"There are many ways he can help you get your mind off the last six months, and everything I'm thinking requires him to be more than a friend," Andrea threw a smug look at Sharon. Sharon got all flustered, and Andrea continued, "See, that's what I'm talking about right now. You do like him, otherwise, you wouldn't be so flustered. Sharon, why don't you just tell the guy you want him? Period. End of story. I think he'd get the memo. He's pretty intelligent and even more aware when a woman is throwing herself at him. Sharon, the guy has been a saint the last few years. I haven't heard of him dating or pursing anyone, and I think we both know why. Be bold! Throw yourself at the man who has patiently waited on you for years!"

"Andrea, that's just not me! I'm not bold. I don't think I can be, nor do I really want to be that bold. I just can't do that. I've kept Andy at length for months, years really, and I don't know how to move forward now. I think I want to move forward, but I can't throw myself at him. Besides, that's not professional either, and I do need to keep that in perspective. There's so much I can't say or do because of work. I don't want to cross some line and have him uneasy at work."

"Sharon, he's been uneasy at work for a couple of years because that man adores you. The reason he's been uneasy is his feelings have been far ahead of yours. Everyone has seen it. I don't think he'd mind at all if you just threw caution to the wind and went for it," Andrea said. "He's only going to be even more uneasy if you just allow this mess of yours to continue without resolution."

Sharon frowned and shook her head, "I just can't. That approach for me, from me, isn't what I want. I do want some advice on how I should proceed, but throwing myself at him this instant isn't it. I need to be more subtle than that."

"Have you thought about just talking to the man?" Andrea asked.

"Yes and no," Sharon explained. "We did talk the other night, but I ended up putting him right back in that 'friend zone' as Rusty would say. I wanted to convey I needed him, but somehow, I just told him I needed him to be a friend."

"Well, as you told me, that's the word you used, friend. So, from that, no wonder the poor guy is wondering what is going on with you two. You've probably given him mixed signals," Andrea explained.

Sharon nodded, "I guess I have. I'm not very good at this, but I also know I can't just be as bold as you suggest."

"Why not just invite him to dinner where you can talk?" Andrea suggested. "Sharon, dinner with you two is nothing new, and maybe you can at least convey you want more than what's currently been going on when you go out. It's not going to be an instant change from what you are saying, but you can tell him flat out you'd like more."

Sharon sighed as she thought and finally answered Andrea, "I am afraid dinner will turn out just like every other one, not that they have been bad, but that we'll still never really talk."

"You realize you need to just start flirting with him more, Sharon. You have been subtle about that, but maybe you need to kick it up a notch. Start with your clothing. It's gorgeous, but I am sure you could find a few things you know he'd love, things that would drive him crazy at work. Try flirting more. Maybe offer him that dinner and try to flirt. The guy isn't blind, and he isn't clueless. A little more effort flirting might do just the trick," Andrea pointed out.

"Flirting?" Sharon asked, making a face like she was disgusted. "I'm not sure I know how to flirt."

Andrea burst out laughing, "You're serious, right? Sharon, I've watched you flirt with the man over the last year. Now, granted, you might have been unaware of it, but you, my dear, can definitely flirt. Now, it's time to be more obvious about it. That can start by simple adjustments to your wardrobe and some more active flirting around him, off-duty mainly, but even at work, if you get a moment away from the rest of the team, you can even up the flirting then too."

Sharon narrowed her eyes at Andrea, "I flirt at work? Jack said I was always terrible at that. I don't know how to flirt. I'm not flirting at work."

"Honey, you most definitely are," Andrea reached over and patted her hand. "Let's finish up here, and we'll do some shopping. Maybe we can find a couple of things to wear with your suits to you know," she shrugged, "attract handsome lieutenants."

"Andrea, I don't know about this," Sharon shook her head. "I was planning to shop for Ricky's birthday present and even one for Andy. His birthday is coming up too."

"Trust me," Andrea smiled, "he won't need a present if you can up this flirting thing and honestly get on the same page with him about all of this. That will be gift enough."

Sharon sighed, "Andrea, I just don't know."

The two women talked awhile longer and finished their drinks and meals. The shopping trip consisted of a lot more talking and somewhat of a game plan. Sharon was going to start with a dinner invite to the condo. Yes, Andy had been to dinner at the condo plenty of times, but she was going to try and make this clear this was more than just a friendly dinner. She was going to make sure Rusty had other plans and serve a nice, quiet meal on the balcony where she could hopefully get up enough courage to tell him she wanted more. Her wardrobe was going to step it up a notch too, starting off with a brand-new dress Andrea found.

"Sharon, that dress is perfect," Andrea smiled when Sharon walked out of the dressing room. It was dark green and black patterned dress, knee-length, and flowed nicely. It was a wrap style dress that said both casual and dressy, depending on the occasion. Most of all, Sharon was comfortable in it, and she knew Andy would like it too.

"I do like it," Sharon nodded. "It's a bit too casual for work, but still."

"You could pull that off at work too, especially with one of your blazers. Maybe try it for dinner and if he really likes it, you could wear it at the office," Andrea suggested.

An hour later, Andrea dropped Sharon off at her car, both exhausted from their evening. "Thank you for everything, Andrea," Sharon told her before getting out of the car. "I appreciate you listening and your advice. I can't get out of my own head sometimes."

"Just trust yourself, Sharon. Andy isn't going anywhere. Go home and call him; invite him to dinner, and the rest should play out for you. We do need to do this again, for both an update on your lieutenant, but also to really catch up on everything else. This was the most important thing tonight, though," Andrea pointed out.

"Thank you again. I do appreciate it. I'm going to call him later. Night," she told her and once she got situated in her own car and got on the road, she started thinking again.

It should be easy, call and invite Andy to dinner. They'd done dinner countless times, even countless times at the condo. That wasn't too scary of an idea. They'd even done dinner and a movie at the condo. Andy spent time there, but he hadn't lately. She'd kept him away and closed off her life during the Stroh mess, so now that they were getting back on track, it did seem natural to invite him to dinner.

How do you go from eating at the dining room table to talking about dating your best friend?

Clearly, Andy was her best friend, and one of her concerns was crossing that barrier, that friend line. Sharon knew that once it was crossed, there was no going back, not that she wanted to go back. She believed that if the two made the decision to become more than friends, things could and would go pretty well. She just had to trust her feelings.

Although, she'd trusted herself with Jack, and look where that had gotten her.

Sharon did remind herself that she was now older and wiser. Andy was not Jack, thank goodness for that. Andy was nothing like Jack; yes, they were both alcoholics, but Andy fought every day to remain sober. Jack did not. Andy valued Sharon for a person. Things with Jack had not ever been like that. They had dated in college and gotten married as soon as they had graduated, not that there was anything wrong with that, but she should have seen the warning signs then. Jack was already drinking, something she shrugged off as just being a young guy, and he had talked her into working instead of pursuing what she wanted.

That was the past. Jack was the past, and while Sharon was fine with a future alone, maybe Andy was part of that future.

Without talking herself out of it, Sharon quickly found her phone dialing Andy, and soon the speaker phone was echoing throughout the car.

"Hey, Sharon. How was your evening?" Andy said the moment he picked up the phone.

"We had a lovely evening," Sharon told him. "What about you?"

Andy chuckled, "Ahh, you know, Provenza. I sat, he drank, and he complained. Typical evening. I managed to get him home without incident. So, I call that evening a success."

Sharon chuckled, "I didn't get a call either, so I would agree with you. Anytime my lieutenants are out on the town is reason for concern."

"Hey now," Andy whined, acting shocked at Sharon's statement. "So, what did you and Andrea do all evening?"

"Dinner and shopping. It was very nice. I'm ready to take a hot shower and get in bed, though," she said.

"You're still in the car? I thought your end of the conversation was echoing somewhat," he said.

"Yes, I'm almost home. I wanted to call you before it got any later. I also wanted to check on plans for this weekend. I know you have your meeting tomorrow. I thought about having you over for dinner at the condo sometime this weekend. Would you like to come?" she asked, now suddenly nervous. Sharon's mind started to drift again. It was just Andy, and it was just dinner. She could do this. She could do this wearing her brand-new dress that was sure to attract attention from Andy. She snapped out of it, not wanting to miss Andy's response.

"Dinner with you sounds nice, Sharon," Andy told her. "What night do you want to do that?"

"I think I'm free all weekend, but I can check with Rusty too," she stated. "I'm also not forgetting we have plans for the movies."

"Yeah, well, let's take a look at schedules and figure things out once you are home. We can talk tomorrow at work. How is that?" he offered.

"Deal. I will check my calendar, but I am almost positive anytime this weekend works for me," Sharon told him.

"Great. Now, I'd like to talk to you until you get home if you don't mind. Care to tell me about Andrea and everything you two did this evening?"

"Well, better than yours," Sharon smiled as she started to recount things. I'd say we could describe our evening better than yours. We chatted, we drank, and we shopped. Simple. That about covers it."

"You and Hobbs-that's it?" he chuckled. "Sharon, I know when you two are together the talking and shopping are anything but simple. I'm guessing nice wine, a great restaurant, and upscale shopping. Tell me what you bought."

"Hnmn, a few new things," she said. You suggested I wear whatever I bought this weekend, so I guess you'll have to wait and see."


	4. Chapter 4

"Ohh, are you making cheesecake?" Rusty asked as he walked into the kitchen. He bent down to check the oven. "Yup, cheesecake. Smells good."

"You can have some later. I'm making it for dinner tonight. It probably won't be cool until closer to dinner," Sharon told him.

"I probably won't be home until later anyway," Rusty told her. "I'm trying to collect information on this article I have to write for my journalism class. I really need to get it done. It's due on Monday afternoon. There are a couple of things at the library I'd like to check on that I can't pull up here. Could be a long night."

Sharon nodded, "I figured as much. I'll leave you some of the leftovers for later. Andy's coming over for dinner," she told him, very nonchalantly. Sharon was actually dying inside. She was getting more and more nervous as the minutes ticked by. Yes, it was just dinner with Andy, but it wasn't JUST dinner with Andy. This was the night; she was going to try to put herself out there, to tell Andy exactly what she wanted-him. The closer it got to dinner, the worse she felt. She wasn't sure she could even stomach the vegetable lasagna she'd made for them, let alone the cheesecake. She'd already cut herself off on wine too; she'd had two glasses, and it wasn't even 5:00 yet. Yes, she knew that was bad, but she kept telling herself that it was well past 5:00 on the East Coast where Emily lived, and if she was around Emily right now, they would be enjoying a glass of wine. So really, there was nothing wrong with an afternoon glass of wine, was there? People drank alcohol for breakfast in orange juice sometimes, so an afternoon glass of wine or two-well, it might have been more because she topped off her glass a couple of times before it was empty each time-was needed for today. She was done with wine, though, for today. She needed a clear head.

Now, that was laughable to Sharon, a clear head. How do you clear your head when you want to tell your best friend you want a relationship with him?

It wasn't just a relationship, either, because really, they had that, sort of right now. She wanted a romantic relationship with him. Boyfriend sounded silly, but that's really what it was; she wanted a boyfriend. No, she didn't just want A boyfriend. She wanted Andy as HER boyfriend. Not boyfriend. Too juvenile. She'd have to think about that one, but first she had to even get Andy on the same page and agree to start dating, officially, kissing and well, more. All. She wanted Andy.

"Sharon, are you okay?" Rusty asked, leaning over the counter toward her. She had been at the sink washing a dish and hadn't noticed Rusty had gotten a glass of juice and was now sitting at the bar to talk to her.

"Oh, sorry," she shook her head. "I'm fine. I was just thinking through dinner in my head. The lasagna is made, as is the salad. I just didn't want to forget anything."

Rusty gave her an odd look, "Bread. Don't forget the bread."

"Oh, right," she shook her head again, "see, I knew I was forgetting something."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, now a puzzled look on his face. "It's just Andy, right?"

"Right," she waved him off, "it's just Andy coming for dinner. We'll probably watch a movie on tv later, although we did see one last night. Who knows," she shrugged her shoulders, "we might go for a walk too. It will probably depend on how tired we are," she started to laugh, her nervous laugh, though, and Rusty eyed her like something was up.

"How was that movie last night?" he asked. "I thought about seeing it sometime next week."

Sharon made a face, "It was okay. I think Andy liked it more than I did. I'm just not as into action like he is. I told him it was his pick, and I know he's been wanting to see it. You might enjoy it; it's not violent, but just a lot of action."

"Cool," Rusty nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go and see if I can finish this assignment before Monday. If I don't surface before Monday afternoon, you know why."

"Russell," she said sternly, letting him know no contact before Monday would not be okay. He looked to her, grinning.

"Relax, I wouldn't just go off the grid. Have a good night, Sharon, and I'll talk to you later," he told her and left.

Sharon took a deep breath and ran her hands down her jeans. Jeans. That was another thing. She needed to change, but she couldn't change before Rusty left because he would know something was going on, or at least wonder why she'd changed. Friends didn't dress up when they were seeing each other, and Rusty was observant enough he'd pick up on that. She looked to the clock and saw she had about 15 minutes before Andy arrived. It wasn't a lot of time, but she had time to at least change and freshen up her make-up because really, Andy deserved at least that much. Sharon sometimes scared herself when she didn't have on enough make-up and didn't want to scare Andy away before he even came in the door. Thing was, Andy had said on occasion he liked her sans make-up, so she didn't want to overdo it.

She had to find the right balance between trying too hard and not trying enough. This was it; she was going to put all cards on the table tonight for Andy.

She worked on her make-up, trying to make it look subtle but not washed out or too pale. Andy would ask if she was feeling okay if she looked too pale, but if she put on the brighter colors and shades, he'd probably ask her if they were supposed to be going out for the evening. Without time to second guess herself, she put the new dress on and then immediately took it off. This was silly; he'd wonder about the dress. It was too dressy for dinner, but he had told her to wear something she'd bought with Andrea. Yes, that was it; if he wondered why she was so dressed up, she'd play it off as the purchase with Andrea and not the dress she'd specifically bought to make him weak in the knees.

What if he didn't notice the dress? Once the tags were off, she couldn't take it back, but if he didn't notice the dress, it was leaving the house one way or another. It was going back or going to the charity closet at her church. Yes, because people who were down on their luck, rummaging through a church donation pile, would like a dress like this. No, the tags were coming off; she was going to wear it, and its fate would be decided later in the evening. She might just give it to Andrea if it is a failure. She liked it, and she could have it because if Andy didn't like it, what was the point in keeping it?

Sharon glanced at her nightstand and noted the time. Very punctual Andy would be arriving in five minutes, if not less. She threw the dress back on and huffed at her mirror. She yanked it off again, thinking about that, the action of yanking it off. She'd like Andy to yank it off, that's for sure, but that had her turning red at the thought. Oh, so if she was successful with her discussion with Andy, THAT would happen at some point, not necessarily soon, but it would happen if they became a couple, at least she thought it would. She tried to imagine that step with Andy, his taking off her dress, and suddenly, she wanted to crawl into her bed and hide. Now that she was thinking through all of this, she realized that if and when they ever got to that point, there was no turning back. She couldn't act all nonchalant with him at work. Great, just great. She was the boss imaging THAT with her lieutenant. She'd be that person, someone who would be accused of sleeping with a subordinate. It was different, she suspected. They were old, plain and simple. This wasn't about climbing the ranks. She genuinely cared about Andy. What would she do if she and Andy became intimate and things went badly? She'd never be able to look at him at work. Oh, this dress! It was the cause of so much distress right now. She was irritated she'd bought it now, but she didn't have another choice. She yanked it back on, almost surprised she hadn't torn it. If she had, though, she could have worn something else. Too late. The dress stayed. She smoothed her hair and nodded to herself. It was time.

Sharon didn't even make it across her living room, and he knocked on the door. At least Sharon hoped it was Andy. It had to be; no one else was expected. She really needed to stop her mind from wandering. He was here.

"Hi," she said a bit breathlessly as she opened the door. His eyes grew large has he took in the sight of her and then looked down to himself.

"I missed the memo," he told her, looking back at her. Sharon's face showed confusion, so he clarified. "You are all dressed up; you look very nice, and I'm just me, jeans and a polo shirt," he pulled on his shirt for effect.

"You look very nice, very handsome. Black shirts always look nice on you," she stood to the side and gestured for him to enter. "You are forgetting our conversation from the other day. You told me to wear something I bought while shopping. I bought this," she held up part of the dress's skirt area to demonstrate."

"Ahh," Andy smiled. "It's a great color on you, a very nice dress. I like it," he nodded as he made his way into the condo. Sharon stood there, door open and smiled. She wouldn't have to get rid of the dress. All the different options for dress disownment were now out the window. Quickly, she snapped out of it and closed the door. She looked to Andy, and he had an odd look on his face, as if he was trying to figure out her mind. Sharon walked up to him, leaned up and kissed his cheek. Now, that was nothing new. When Sharon had commented they hadn't been kissing, well, they hadn't, but she didn't consider a kiss of the cheek as kissing. This was something she would do for a relative, even a very good friend. Andy was a very, very good friend.

"I'm glad you are here," she smiled. "I made lasagna for dinner."

Andy grinned, "I thought I smelled your cheesecake."

"Guilty," Sharon nodded, her army brushing his as she walked toward the kitchen. If she happened to add a little sway to her motion, well, she wasn't admitting or denying that, and the only one who could admit that would be Andy. She had a feeling he was watching, at least she hoped he was.

"I brought a movie," he waved his hand. "Stopped at a Redbox and got that movie you wanted to see. I know you didn't really enjoy the one last night."

She chuckled, "No, not particularly, but I know you did. I told Rusty the same thing earlier. He asked how it was. Here's some cranberry juice," she offered him. She hadn't even asked his drink; she knew it, and whether he drank it that moment or a half hour later, he always wanted cranberry juice.

"Thanks," he nodded, looking for her glass. "Aren't you having a glass of wine?"

"No, I'm fine," she offered, "saving room for dinner," she said, a weak excuse, but she couldn't admit she'd had two glasses, okay, two plus glasses of wine earlier. "Dinner is ready. I pulled the lasagna out about 15 minutes ago so it could set up properly. I think the cheesecake needs about 10 more minutes before it comes out of the oven, so we can eat it later."

Andy nodded, "I'll set out the plates," and made his way to her cabinets and started collecting everything they would need.

"Oh, I thought we could eat on the balcony," Sharon smiled. She had tried to hide her balcony plans from Rusty, and it appeared she'd been successful. She had the table off to the side, hidden behind the wall slightly so it wasn't as visible from the inside. She had also washed off all her patio furniture.

"The balcony?" Andy asked. "Sure," he shrugged. "Sounds nice for the evening."

"Hmm, I thought so too," Sharon said. "Bread!" she exclaimed and started looking around her kitchen. The sliced garlic bread was wrapped in foil and ready to stick in the oven. She did so, quickly, and then she turned back to Andy.

"You sure you're okay, Sharon?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"Fine," Sharon smiled warmly, walking by Andy again. She grazed her hand on his arm and then across his back. "Why don't we get the balcony ready, and then we can plate the food. The bread just needs a couple of minutes before it's ready."

Andy nodded and followed her. Sharon and Andy got things ready, putting his drink down and the salad, and the two went back inside for the rest of the food. It took two more trips, but then they were seated and ready to eat.

"This looks amazing, Sharon. Thank you. I haven't had your lasagna in a long time," he admitted.

"I know," Sharon offered a small smile. "That's my fault." The two settled into a comfortable silence as they began eating. Sharon had decided she would casually rub her foot against Andy's to see if that caught his attention. Unfortunately, he seemed focused on his meal, a meal apparently, he'd been craving from her for awhile.

"Mmmm, so good," he nodded to her as he wiped his mouth. Sharon had taken a tiny portion of lasagna and managed to eat it between her foot travels. They chatted for a few minutes, mostly about the kids, and then she decided to try something different.

"It sure is a beautiful night," she sighed as she stood and looked over the balcony. Andy stood and moved to stand beside her, taking in the view as she was.

"It is," he admitted. "It's hard to believe there are so many dirt bags running around down there when you get a view like this. Griffith Park looks calm and peaceful. No one would guess there's probably bodies buried there somewhere."

Sharon chuckled slightly at Andy's grim view of the city. She leaned her head on his arm and wrapped her arm around his. After a few seconds, Andy shifted and wrapped the same arm around Sharon, so she was now nestled into his side. She used her one arm to rub circles on his back. They both remained silent as they looked to the city.

"So, you like the dress?" she asked. Andy looked to her, the view very obvious. Sharon knew it was obvious, the cut of her dress giving him a perfect view of her low-cut dress, and hoped again he would enjoy it.

He pulled back to look at the dress again, as if he'd forgotten. Sharon noted that he seemed to miss the obvious cue down the front of her dress she hoped he'd get. "Yeah, it's a great dress. Looks lovely. You look beautiful in it," he smiled warmly.

"Oh," she nodded, a catch in her throat. She hadn't expected beautiful. "Thank you," she whispered between them, leaning up to kiss his cheek again. Andy pulled back to look toward the kitchen.

"I guess we could clean up and put on that movie," he suggested.

"Sure," she said, now a bit deflated. She flipped her hair, another thing Andrea had suggested, and Andy missed it too as he was picking up all their plates. She really needed to talk to him about all of this, but she and Andrea had not discussed how to start the conversation. Andrea had told Sharon it would start itself with the dress and other means of flirting. So far, though, Sharon was striking out.

Andy worked quickly at her sink, stacking everything as she liked in her dishwasher.

"Would you like coffee or even tea?" she asked.

"Tea sounds nice," he smiled. "I haven't had much tea these last few months. You bring out the tea drinker in me."

"I'll make tea," she smiled. "I can get the rest of this, Andy," she nodded to the last few items. "Why don't you get the movie ready, and I'll be over to join you. The cheesecake is still warm, so it might be best if we take a break during the movie for it."

"Will do," he picked up the movie and waved it toward her as he walked into the living room. Sharon let out her breath. She was a nervous mess and shouldn't be. She had to make tea, so she started on that before she forgot how to do it, not that making tea was hard, but Sharon was close to forgetting her own name tonight. Once the tea was made, she put it on the tea tray Andy had gotten her for her birthday last year and put it on the coffee table. Instead of her normal perch on the end of the couch, she put a pillow up against Andy's side and snuggled up with it. Truthfully, she would rather omit the pillow as a barrier, but she felt that was too obvious. Andy was a bit taken aback, but not upset. He seemed to have thought she would sit at the end of the couch, but quickly shifted to allow her to get settled.

"All set?" he asked before he started the movie.

"One thing," Sharon sat up and put her arm on his chest to support herself. She had her legs tucked to the side, into the couch cushion, so she did need the support. Using Andy's chest as support was an added bonus.

"I'd like to talk about, well, I'd like to-Andy, thanks for getting the movie I wanted to see," she chickened out and said the first thing she could bring to mind. Andy gave her a puzzled look and smiled.

"Sure. Like I said, I know you didn't enjoy last night's movie," he nodded to the television. "Ready?"

"Sure," Sharon sat back, this time, she left her arm there. Andy shifted again, and Sharon couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable.

"I'm home," Rusty grumbled, clearly unhappy as he opened the door. Sharon sat up quickly, not that they had been inappropriate at all, but Rusty certainly would have things to say with Sharon sitting against Andy and her hand on his chest.

"Rusty," she said. "What's wrong?"

"I forgot my stupid id," he complained. "Can't do anything on campus without that dumb card. I don't even know why I bothered," he complained. He looked to the couch. "Oh, hey Lieutenant. Sorry to bother you both."

"No, Rusty," Andy moved quickly and stood, almost flipping Sharon onto the floor with his action. He looked to her, wondering how she'd contorted herself as she had. Sharon wasn't sure how she'd done it either. "We haven't even started the movie. You're welcome to join us."

"Thanks, but I've got to get some work done. I guess now I'll just work in my room as much as I can. I am so irritated I wasted over an hour driving back and forth," he grumbled.

Sharon stood now too, clearly aware the evening wasn't going to happen like she'd hoped. Thing is, she hadn't even known what to expect, but this wasn't it. The two watched Rusty disappear into his room, and Sharon turned back to Andy. He was in a daze himself.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she walked toward him. She grabbed his hands in hers, bringing them up to eye level. "We could always go find something else to do, go somewhere to talk."

He looked at her with suspicion, "Sharon, is everything okay?" he asked, breaking their hand holding. She took her hand, now loose, and ran it up his arm.

"It's fine," she sighed. "I'm sorry about this evening."

"Dinner was great," he told her. "Rusty's home all the time. It's fine."

"We could get more comfortable on the couch and start the movie," she offered. She tried her seductive smile, but she wasn't sure it came off that way. "I'm not that hungry for cheesecake, but we could maybe share a piece?"

Sharon was trying hard and failing miserably, or Andy was clueless. Maybe it was both, but something was off. Andy flinched with her last comment, which was odd to her. He wasn't possessive of food; they'd shared things before, but the sharing cheesecake comment seemed to throw him.

"You know, I'm kind of tired. I worked in the yard all day. I think I'll call it a night. Maybe we can watch the movie another time," he said. "I'm sorry, Sharon. I don't think I'm very good company tonight."

"Oh, okay," Sharon said, looking away. Things were off, very off tonight. Their talk wasn't happening. Whether it was Sharon, Andy, even Rusty, a combination of all of that, or none of that, she didn't know, but things were off.

"Will you call me when you get home?" Sharon asked, following him to the door. "I'll worry."

"I'll call," he smiled softly turning to her. "Thanks again for dinner," he nodded to her. She reached out and squeezed his hand, pulling him toward her. She raised up and kissed his cheek again, whispering as she did.

"We'll try this again another night, Andy. Get some rest," she kissed his cheek again before pulling back. She opened the door for him, noting he was rooted in place. He quickly nodded to her and disappeared.

Sharon sunk back against her door, not sure what had just happened. She looked down at the dress. He said he'd liked it, but had he? Did it need to go on her list of things not to wear? One thing was certain and that was she needed to get out of it and quickly. Rusty hadn't commented on her dressed-up appearance, but he had been distracted. As soon as he came in search of food, she was certain to get the third degree from him if he saw her dressed this way. She huffed as she walked to her room, making sure she didn't slam it, even though her current mood was one that was irritated.

What do you do when your plans to get your best friend to notice you backfire?


	5. Chapter 5

She threw the dress on the floor and pulled on a pair of yoga pants and an old LAPD sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was too big on her, a reminder it was actually Andy's sweatshirt. She'd forgotten to take her sweater to the movies one time, and he happened to have it in his car. She wore it home that evening, and it had stayed with her. Now, it was the closest thing she had to Andy; he had practically flown out the door to flee to his home.

"Andrea," she sighed into the phone just a few minutes later. She curled up on her bed, ready to talk, and ready to get some guidance.

"Oh, this can't be good if you are calling me at 9:00 on a Saturday evening," Andrea told her. "Before you give me your bad news, let me just make it worse. I was going to wait to call you tomorrow, but I need to see you and Rusty first thing Monday morning in your office."

"Rusty and me?" Sharon asked. "Andrea, is this about Stroh?"

"No, I'm not going to get into the specifics here, but it is regarding that Jane Doe case Rusty has been reporting through that blog thing of his. This is important, Sharon, Monday morning," she told her. "I'm sorry, but I just got the paperwork late last night. I tried to deal with it most of today, which isn't easy considering it is a Saturday, but it isn't going away. Please bring Rusty with you on Monday."

"Okay," Sharon sighed, rubbing her forehead. The day was getting worse. "Andrea, things didn't go well."

"He rejected you?" Andrea said completely shocked. "Sharon, what did he say?"

"Nothing!" Sharon exclaimed, a bit too loudly. She lowered her voice before Rusty came looking for her. "I can't do this," she sighed. "I think I tried too hard. I made a nice dinner, and that was going well, but I just tried too hard. He missed any of the signals I gave, and I was nervous. I'm sure he sensed that too. Rusty came home early, which was another misstep, and Andy practically ran out of here. We didn't watch a movie; we didn't have dessert, and we didn't talk. I just can't do this."

"Sharon, you can do this," Andrea told her. She was speaking now in a much calmer voice as she continued to remind herself that Sharon wasn't responsible for the mess Rusty was creating. She also knew that Sharon needed a friend right now, not a work colleague. "Sharon, he's your best friend. Call him. Talk to him, not even about your feelings, but just talk to him. You two have talked for years. It was an off night. Everyone has an off night every now and then. Try again, and you are right; maybe you did try too hard. Relax. You can do this, but you might need to just take a deep breath and try again."

"Andrea, I don't know," Sharon said as she could be heard sighing again.

"You can. You are the toughest woman I know, and you aren't going to tell me a handsome hunk like Andy Flynn has got your doubting yourself. Talk to him, Sharon. Get off the phone with me and call him. I'm sure he did sense that something was off. Talk it through. This thing between the two of you," she started and paused, "it's not going to be easy to just go from friends to something more, but ask yourself if it is worth the effort."

"I don't want to lose him, Andrea. When he left tonight, I just hated myself. I just wanted to run after him and talk to him, but I didn't know what to say," she explained.

"I think you will find the words, Sharon. Call him, and I will see you on Monday. Remember, I'll just be the messenger," she warned Sharon, but offered no other information.

"Thank you, Andrea. I'll call him, and thank you for being a good friend," she told her.

"Anytime, Sharon. Night," Andrea said and hung up.

Sharon sat back against her headboard and looked at the pictures on her nightstand. She had two pictures. One was from Christmas with all three kids in front of the Christmas tree. The other was from a benefit at the art gallery she and Andy had attended last fall. She kept this one because she loved how handsome he looked in his tux and had commented on how well they complimented each other that evening. She had worn a simple, yet elegant black gown, and Rusty had insisted on taking their picture on the balcony before they left. If Sharon had to guess, each of her children and mostly likely Nicole, too, possibly Andy's son even, had been sent that photo that evening. She smiled looking at it now, and she picked up the phone to call him.

He picked up right away, and before he could say a word, Sharon jumped in, "I want to apologize for everything tonight. I think we had an off evening."

She heard Andy sigh, and from what she could tell, he was on the speakerphone, meaning he wasn't home yet. She looked to the clock, and with her quick calculation, he was probably only five minutes from his house. "I'm sorry, too," he told her. "It was an off night. Sharon, if you aren't ready to put Stroh in the past, just tell me. You were nervous and jittery all night."

"It's not Stroh, Andy," she told him. "I can't explain it," she said, chickening out again, but trying to clarify her mind, for once, was not on Stroh.

"Sharon, the past six months have been hard on you, and it's okay if you are still shaky. I just wish you would talk to me. It seemed like you were a million miles away tonight," he stated.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'd like to try again, dinner again?" she asked.

"You know I will have dinner with you anytime, anywhere," Andy told her. "Tonight, though, I felt like we were going to get into an argument if I stayed, and I didn't want that. You had something on your mind, and I didn't want to argue about Stroh again. When Rusty came home, I could tell you were nervous about not having that protection detail on him. Sharon, just talk to me."

"Andy," Sharon sighed, as she banged her head against her bed. He was right she had a lot on her mind; he'd totally missed the mark, though, on the topic. He thought she was still hung up on Stroh, but she was really hung up on Andy. "I'm going to do better next time. I promise. I have another bone to pick with you. You left without any cheesecake."

"Yeah, I know," he grumbled. "That was one of many mistakes tonight. I thought leaving was a good idea at the time, but as I've been driving home, I have decided that friends don't run out on each other when they are needed. That's exactly what I did, and I'm sorry too. I should have stayed, even if we did get into an argument. I don't want you to ever think I'm like Jack and just leave when anything gets difficult."

"Andy, I don't think that," Sharon told him. "You are nothing like Jack." Sharon had confided in Andy about many of her trust issues with Jack and with relationships in general. They had been friends now for a couple of years, real friends, and as Jack passed in and out of her life, she had told Andy the one thing she despised was how Jack always ran away. She'd told Andy it was a trait she hoped her own children would not carry into their own relationships. "Andy, we just had a bad night," she clarified again. "I hope we are okay."

"We're okay," Andy told her honestly. "I'm sorry I left, and I'm sorry I can't sit with you and have a piece of cheesecake. When you offered to share a piece, I knew something was way off, not that the rest of the evening hadn't been odd too, but I remember one of the very first times we went to dinner after Nicole's wedding, we went to that Italian place we like so much now, and you told me that if there was ever a dessert you didn't share, it was cheesecake. I know you were joking about it, but over the last few years, I've seen you eat cheesecake," he chuckled. "You don't share. Tonight, you offered to share, not that I normally wouldn't share, but your mind was elsewhere tonight. I could tell."

"Hmm, I guess I did say that about cheesecake, but can you blame me?" she teased. "It is a wonderful dessert, and yes, I still believe people she be able to enjoy that sinful indulgence without having to share it. I guess you are right; I'll share about anything with you, but not cheesecake. I suppose it's similar to you with chocolate cake."

"I do love a good piece of chocolate cake," he chuckled, "but your homemade cheesecake rivals a very close second. Sharon, let's just try to forget this evening. So, we had a bad night-big deal. We're still talking at the end of it."

"We are," Sharon smiled, as she could feel the tension leave her body. This was the easy-going conversation with Andy she always enjoyed. Late evening had become her favorite part of the day because it usually involved this, lounging around talking to Andy. The bad part of the evening was over; they were good, and she would attempt her talk with him again, on a different evening.

"I'd bring you some cheesecake tomorrow, but I know you are spending the day with Nicole," Sharon told him.

"Yes, I am. Good memory," he said playfully with Sharon. "I think I told you one of Dean's friends has a boat, and I'm going along on grandpa type duty to help out for the day. It should be fun. Nicole and Dean want to try all the toys-water skis, things like that. I'm sure the boys will get the chance to do something too, but with me along, the adults can play around, and I can enjoy the boys on the boat."

"I know you will have a wonderful day with all of them. Tell you what-I'll bring some of the leftovers to work on Monday. We can have them for lunch," she suggested.

Andy groaned, "Oh, that sounds good. You're killing me, Sharon. Lasagna and cheesecake for lunch? Dream come true," he said happily. "I'm warning you right now, but I'm going to dangle the food in front of Provenza. It will tick him off on many levels. First, he'll want to know where I got it, so he'll be irritated when I tell him you made it. It won't be the fact you made it, but that we already had it one evening, and then you brought leftovers to share with me. You know he'll complain about that. Then, he'll ask where his serving is, which I'll certainly offer to share, but he'll complain once he realizes it's a vegetarian lasagna. Provenza won't eat lasagna without meat," Andy chuckled. "Then, the cheesecake," Andy continued to laugh, "please just bring a piece for you and one for me. It will keep me from having to share with Provenza."

"Andy, you are terrible," Sharon shook her head. "Honestly, you two are like elementary kids who compare lunches."

"Well, it is what it is, and our captain still keeps us around," he teased.

"I'll bring lunch," she confirmed. "How much longer until you get home?"

"I'm home," he told her. "I am just sitting in my driveway. I wanted to finish talking to you before I got distracted getting into my house."

"I'll let you go, then," she told him. "I'm glad you are home, and I'm sorry we-" she was cut off by Andy.

"Sharon, stop with the apology. It's okay. We were both off, end of discussion. Tomorrow is a new day," he said.

"You're right. Sleep well, and I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow. I'll see you on Monday," she smiled as she said that.

"Night, Sharon. Get some rest," he told her.

Sharon hung up and nodded. That had gone well; she and Andy sounded like their normal selves on the phone. She would try again, different strategies, but she would try again.

She was still lying awake 15 minutes later when her phone text went off. She picked it up and chuckled at the sight. Andy had sent her a picture of the inside of his refrigerator. It was sparse, clearly in need of a good grocery store trip. The caption read, "I was the idiot. I walked out on lasagna and cheesecake. Even my refrigerator is saddened by this."

She replied, "The refrigerator at work will look much better, as long as Rusty doesn't get to the leftovers first."


	6. Chapter 6

It was 6:30 on Monday morning. Sharon was moving about the kitchen, getting her things ready for the day, and enjoying her cup of coffee. Rusty was still in the shower, as he'd been summoned to work with her too. Her phone rang, and she sighed, thinking it was a case until she saw it was Andy calling.

"Don't worry; I've packed everything for lunch. I haven't forgotten," she told him as soon as she answered. It was just like Andy to politely "remind" her to bring his favorite leftovers.

"Oh, ahh, good," he told her. "I've been thinking about your cheesecake." He started to say something else, but Sharon heard noise in the background and then what certainly was Provenza.

"You'd better be talking about real food, Flynn! I don't want to imagine what 'thinking about your cheesecake' could really mean since you are talking to the captain!" Provenza exclaimed and must have moved closer to the phone because his voice became louder and clearer than it had been.

"I'm guessing this isn't a personal call," she cleared her voice in attempt to start the conversation again.

"No, not exactly, but I did volunteer to be the one to call you," he said a bit loudly, and Sharon shook her head. She knew that had to be a tactic to irritate Provenza.

"Okay, so what do we have this morning?" she asked.

"We have not been here too long. Young woman was killed in her own apartment. The barking dog alerted the neighbor who called 911 around 4:30 this morning. Responding officers discovered her body. I just wanted to update you seeing as how we'll still be at the crime scene when you have your meeting with Andrea," he told her. Sharon had told Andy about her meeting with Andrea the night before when they had spoken on the phone. He'd called her after his day with Nicole and her family on their friend's boat. She and Andy had talked for over an hour and spent several minutes spent discussing what Andrea needed with Sharon and Rusty. Like Sharon, Andy had immediately been concerned it was regarding Stroh, but Sharon had explained that while it had been her first assumption too, Andrea had promised it had nothing to do with Stroh.

"Alright," she nodded as she comprehended the information. "Do we know what makes this a Major Crime?"

"Apparently, the young woman is some sort of model or actress, but we don't have all of that information yet. Sykes is working on the specifics right now," he said. "I'll send you the name. Her apartment isn't too far from your condo, so when we do finish, we shouldn't be far from work. It's close to downtown."

"Go ahead and text me the address too. Rusty and I will stop by on our way downtown. I'll get him moving so we aren't late and have time to stop. Need anything?" she asked.

"Just to see you," he told her. Sharon could tell he must have stepped away from the team as he relayed the case information. While she had heard noise initially, she hadn't heard anything since Provenza's outburst. She also knew he wouldn't say anything like that if he was around the rest of the team. "I know we've talked since Saturday evening, but I'd like to see your smile. I miss it, and I can say that because I'm wiping Saturday evening from my memory."

"Oh, are you?" she teased. She smiled and realized she must look like a giddy teenager. "I can't promise a smile when working an active crime scene, especially as the boss, but I'll see what I can do today."

"At this point, I'll be more than happy just seeing you, the scary captain face and all," he chuckled.

"I'm not scary," she said with her work voice.

"On that note, I'm going to hang up with my captain," he told her. "I'll text you the address, Sharon. See you soon."

"Thank you, Andy. See you soon," she smiled.

When Sharon arrived at the crime scene, she put on her work face, not that it was hard. She just still had lingering thoughts of Andy, which were hard to erase at work because she saw him at work. It was a bad problem, yet a good problem. She couldn't get him off her mind because she saw him almost every single day at work, and the times she was home and away from him, she couldn't stop thinking of him and wishing he was with her. It was maddening, at least in the sense she wished she had some clarity on the situation. On this particular morning, she was also irritated she had to drag Rusty with her, not that she didn't love her son, but obviously, something had happened with this new story of his. She just hoped Rusty hadn't gotten himself into trouble and secretly wished it was just some caution from Andrea. However, knowing Andrea and Sharon knowing quite a bit herself, she suspected Rusty had either dug up something that was causing a problem or had bent some rule he shouldn't have. Regardless, she hated being dragged in on a Monday morning to face an issue blindly. It would have to wait; she had a body to examine.

Sharon finished at the scene, her professional mask on as it normally was. She'd not given more than a nod to Andy when she arrived. He had appeared to be working on inventorying the victim's closet, so she conducted her business and then went in search of Rusty who had been asked to walk the victim's dog around the block. She waited outside for Rusty and before he appeared she felt the Andy's presence closing in on her.

"Hi," she turned around and saw him walking up to her.

"Morning," he told her. "I assume you are getting Rusty, so I came to grab that dog again. Animal Control is on the way, but I thought I'd let the little guy eat something before they haul him off. Besides, it gave me a moment to talk to you," he smiled warmly. She nodded, glancing up and when she still didn't see Rusty, she turned back to Andy. They were professional; they had to be. This was work, an active crime scene, and in addition to neighbors wandering around, they had patrol officers on scene as well. She was about to speak when he said something further. "Listen, I know we might get caught at work later with this case, but why don't you come over for dinner when we finish this one? If it's tonight, great, but if it's tomorrow or Wednesday, that's fine too. If Stroh isn't on your mind, something is, and maybe a chance of scenery would help. You've been keeping yourself in your condo over the last few months, so come over, please. We can eat and talk."

"Okay," she smiled to him. "I can do that. Thank you. Yes, with this case, we certainly might end up working through dinner tonight. I supposed we will see how the day goes."

"On that note," he nodded toward Rusty who was now walking toward them, "good luck with Hobbs. Let me know what that's all about. I'll send you a text when we finish here. Hey, at least I know I have a great lunch waiting even if we work through dinner."

"That you do," she smiled. "Get back to work, Lieutenant," she said before she offered a small smile to him. He saluted her and took the dog leash from Rusty.

"Best of luck with Hobbs, Rusty," Andy nodded to him. Rusty made a face at Andy and turned to Sharon.

"You told him I'd been summoned?" he complained.

"Of course," she shrugged. "I picked his brain about it, and neither of us have any idea why Andrea wants to see both of us. Let's go and find out."

Andrea wasn't there when they arrived, so Sharon was able to get some work done and check on the victim's status in the morgue. The team arrived at the office, and they got to work. Andrea showed up not long after, and Sharon should have known Rusty would seek out Slider. She couldn't believe she'd been served with a subpoena along with Rusty. She wanted to tell Andy about it; she was mildly irritated, even though she realized Rusty meant no harm. Still, it put her in an awkward spot, as it did Andrea, and she now knew why Andrea hadn't want to pass this along to her. She sent the team out to follow up a few other potential witnesses, and when they weren't back by 1:00, she decided to eat without Andy. She really wanted to wait, but she hadn't had anything since 5:30 and was not starving. Besides that, as with many cases, things could happen, and she didn't want more of the afternoon to slip by before getting her food. She was just sitting down to eat when Andy stopped in.

"Hey," he smiled at her, "just got back. We talked to that guy. I'll update you and everyone when you finish here. Is there any food left?"

"Hmm," she nodded as she finished chewing. "Your leftovers are still there," she nodded to the fridge. "I'll heat them up for you if you are still busy."

"Let me drop this at my desk," he indicated the items in his hand, "and I'll wash up. If you heat it up, I can probably be back in time to join you."

"Oh, I wasn't offering that," she teased him and then smiled. "The offer was to heat up your food, not to join me."

"I heard you make deals," he grinned. Sharon covered her mouth with her napkin as she started to chuckle.

"Fine, you are a tough negotiator, Lieutenant. I'll heat your food and let you join me. The sacrifices I make all for a deal," she grinned.

"I'll be right back," he said and left the room quickly. Others started to trickle in and out of the room; some liked to eat at their desks, while others preferred to eat in the break room. Sharon normally ate in her office, but she hadn't made the effort today because the area, including their office area, had been empty. She didn't mind eating with everyone, but normally, Andy joined her, and both found it easier to chat in her office.

She was at the microwave just taking out Andy's food when Provenza walked in. "Afternoon, Captain," he nodded to her. "Something smells good."

"Lasagna," Sharon told him, moving the hot dish to the table. Provenza glanced over and rolled his eyes when he saw two servings of it.

"I'm guessing you aren't setting that out for me," he nodded to the table.

"No," she offered a sly smile, "although, I would have brought some for you too, but your best friend informed me you won't eat vegetarian lasagna."

"Oh," he made and face as he grumbled. "Well, that's mainly true, unless it's all Flynn has to eat at his house, and by the way it smells, Captain, I might have to make an exception for yours too."

Sharon chuckled and both glanced to the door as they heard it open. Andy walked in rubbing his hands together as if he was excited for lunch. "Lasagna," he grinned at Sharon and then rolled his eyes to Provenza. "There's no meat in it, Provenza."

"I heard," he rolled his eyes. "I don't' know why you are so excited, Flynn. It's just leftovers," he said, not letting Andy know he'd just told Sharon he might consider eating her meatless lasagna. "You're like a kid on Christmas excited about the captains' leftovers."

"I know a good thing!" he barked. Sharon just sat back in her seat and watched the banter. "It was delicious Saturday night, so I have every confidence it will be just as good today."

"Saturday night," Provenza groaned. "Flynn, Captain, I don't need to hear this," he shook his head.

Andy winked to Sharon; he loved messing with Provenza. He had one more topic to discuss. "Well, then get moving and head back to your desk," he used his hand to shoo him away. "You'd better leave now before Sharon gets out the cheesecake she brought too."

"Cheesecake?" Provenza questioned and looked to Sharon for confirmation. He wasn't sure if he should believe Andy.

"There might be cheesecake," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulder. She smiled at Andy, completely unaware she was flirting. Andy smirked at her statement to Provenza, but Sharon continued before he could speak. "Now, your best friend suggested I only bring two pieces of cheesecake, but I knew if it sat at home, Rusty and I would polish it off. So, I did bring cheesecake for everyone."

"I'm getting the first piece," Provenza told her as he took off for the refrigerator. Sharon met Andy's gaze, and the two chuckled. They left Provenza to the cheesecake and started to work on their food.

"What did Hobbs want?" he asked. Andy knew this was a safe subject because even with Provenza in the room, it most likely wasn't something she'd hide from either of them.

Sharon sighed as she put down her fork, "Rusty and I both have been subpoenaed," she enunciated the words. "He went to visit Slider."

"That thug who killed Alice?" Provenza joined the conversation. Andy groaned and shook his head in irritation at Rusty's blunder.

"Yes, the very one. You both know he's working on telling her story and thought getting information from Slider would help," she explained.

"Now, it looks like you sent him there," Andy filled in the rest, something they all were thinking and just needed to be verbalized.

"Yes, exactly, but as Andrea already knows, I knew nothing about it. It's just an annoyance now. I can probably have my subpoena disposed quickly since I didn't know about it, but Rusty has to go in front of Judge Grove with Andrea."

"Just great," Andy groaned as he took another bite. He looked over to Provenza and when he finished chewing, pointed, "Provenza, leave some for us. She made the thing, and that's my favorite dessert of hers."

"Yes, because you just love to have your cake and eat it too," Provenza rolled his eyes and smirked toward Andy. "I left some," he told them. "Just get it before word gets out to the team. Captain, mark my words, there won't be any left before the hour is up. Just keep this away from Taylor. That guy can sniff out baked goods like a bloodhound, and he's not eating this. It may not be mine, but I'm putting the 'Friends and Family' tab on this one. He doesn't qualify for either."

Both Sharon and Andy started to chuckle at Provenza's explanation. He just shrugged and cleaned off the knife with his fork before he started to eat it.

"Captain, you didn't happen to bring strawberries or cherries for a topping, did you?" he asked, his mouth full.

"What do you think she is, a 7-11, Provenza?" Andy sighed, irritated. Sharon patted his hand.

"Actually, Lieutenant, there is a container in there full of strawberries. Help yourself," she stated.

Provenza nodded and as he prepared his toppings, he told the two, "I don't want to hear about your dinners or evenings you are together, but anytime you want to bring in the leftovers, feel free." He cleaned up the area and carried his plate with him to the door. "Thanks, Captain," he nodded to her.

"Provenza, just know if she brings in leftovers to share, well, then you can imagine the evening before," he smirked. Provenza made a gagging face and left quickly. Andy turned back to Sharon who was red in the face but chuckling. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"Andy, he's going to think something IS going on," she shook her head.

"He already does," Andy shrugged nonchalantly. "It's Provenza. The concept of female friends is lost on him. He's married every woman he's ever befriended," he smiled widely. "Just watch," he pointed his fork to her, "he's been kinder to you the last year or so. He might be working that angle with you, Sharon," he joked and winked at her. Sharon laughed too. They seemed to be over their Saturday night awkwardness.

"I'm going to get my piece of cheesecake before he comes back for seconds. You realize he'll hide in the hallway so the rest of the team doesn't see that plate, and then he'll come back for seconds, claiming he'll eat it if no one else will," she told Andy.

"Oh, I know," he nodded and stood, collecting all their containers. "That's why I'm going to proudly eat mine at my desk. I've got his number. Just leave it out. I guarantee Julio will be in here shortly to get some for himself. The rest won't be far behind. Thanks for bringing lunch. Can we just go ahead and make dinner plans for tomorrow? Looks like tonight will be a late night."

Sharon was cutting their pieces, and Andy was leaning back against the counter right next to her to talk to her. She nodded, "Tomorrow sounds nice, yes. I think your slave driver of a boss will keep you late tonight," she teased.

Andy shrugged, "At least she's nice to look at," he winked to her, "and I have the best seat in the office."

Sharon bit her lip at Andy's comment. They seemed to play this back and forth banter game of theirs more and more. "Because I'm a nice person, I won't write you up for the 'nice to look at comment,' she teased. Then she added, "Why do you think I keep my side blinds open so much?" she smiled warmly at him as she handed him his plate. "Just don't ever trade desks with Provenza."

He chuckled and helped her clean up the kitchen area. "Tomorrow then for dinner," he repeated as they walked out of the room with plates in hand. "Might I add you look lovely today, Sharon," Andy noted as they walked down the hallway to the office. "Provenza is probably having a cow thinking we coordinated our clothing again," he chuckled.

Sharon looked over at Andy and smiled, "As you pointed out, he already thinks something is going on," she smiled even wider. "Let him be irritated," she shrugged one shoulder at Andy as he opened the door for them to go back into the office. He could be heard chuckling as she continued to her office, not looking back at Andy. This is how they worked best. She didn't need to say anything further to him; they worked in close proximity, and he'd be in her office for one thing or another at some point in the afternoon. She settled in at her desk, leaving the door open, so she could enjoy the cheesecake discussion that was sure to start. She started eating her piece and chuckled to herself, when not even two minutes later, Julio jumped up from his desk and took off. Andy, who had made his way back to his desk and was sitting and eating, glanced to Sharon. When their eyes made contact, he grinned and held up the food. She chuckled and shook her head at him. Oh, he was already the death of her. She might have put on a good face for him just now, but she was secretly dying inside. It took everything in her power not to spill all her feelings at lunch. Thank goodness for Provenza being there. She shook her head at that thought; if she was thankful for Provenza being around, she really was delusional.


	7. Chapter 7

They closed the case late Tuesday afternoon. After paperwork and all, it ended up being almost 7:00 before they could leave. The case had been a sad one, and while they were all detectives prepared to take a life, it still was hard when one had to do it. They all knew if Mike hadn't wanted to shoot, but had to do it. It was part of the job. Andy popped his head in the door with all the team paperwork.

"Hey," he said a bit somber. "I've got all the paperwork from the team. Under the circumstances, Provenza told Mike and everyone else to go home. Hope it's okay he didn't clear it with you," he said from the door.

She nodded as she sighed, "No, that's fine. I should have checked the time and done that myself. I'll take the paperwork. Listen, I'd still like to have dinner if you would? I thought you might want to catch a meeting, and I could even bring dinner to your house? I think we could all use a pick me up."

He smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I was thinking about a meeting. Dinner with you, icing on the cake. Are you sure you don't mind driving all the way to my place this late, Sharon? We can get something somewhere else around here, and I can get a meeting tomorrow."

"No," she shook her head, "I think a drive will do me good too. I also know these cases where young women are killed always hit you hard. I don't think I'll be sleeping anytime soon, so if you are still okay with it, I'd enjoy picking up dinner and eating at your house."

"Great," Andy's smile improved. "Yeah, any death is bad, but something about these young girls gets to me. I guess I see Nicole or any of her friends. I couldn't imagine," he sighed. "Look, I'll get to my meeting right now," he checked his watch and nodded. "Oh, here's the paperwork. Don't stay here and work the whole time," he gave her a glare.

"I won't," she smiled. "Promise. In fact, if you want to walk me out, I'll leave now too. I think I'll go home and change. Then, I'll get the food on the way. That should about time it correctly, shouldn't it?"

Andy dropped the paperwork on her desk and then held the door open for her. She gathered her things and nodded thanks as she walked out next to Andy's desk. Provenza was the only one left, and he looked up, a bit surprised to see that Andy had convinced her to leave.

"Ahh, Captain, I sent everyone home," he told her. "Hope that's not a problem."

"It's fine, Lieutenant. Thank you," she smiled to him. "Go home yourself." Andy moved about his desk, shutting down his computer and grabbing his keys and phone. He looked to Provenza too.

"You going to see Patrice?" Andy asked him. Provenza shrugged.

"I will, but first, I need to get something to eat," Provenza told them.

Sharon gave Andy a strange look and then looked back to Provenza, "Lieutenant, do you not want to eat with Patrice?"

Provenza frowned, "Well, yeah, I like having dinner with her, but she likes healthy food at expensive places. I need a good greasy anything right now. Captain, I really need Rusty to go for burgers with me. That's the food I want right now. I'm guessing you two aren't headed out for burgers," he gestured to the two of them where Sharon stood with her purse in her hands and Andy was clipping his phone to his belt.

"No," she smiled to Provenza, "If Rusty isn't with us, burgers generally aren't on the menu."

"Ready?" Andy asked, looking to Sharon. "I've got time to get to my meeting if we leave now."

"I thought you two were going to dinner?" Provenza eyed them.

Andy rolled his eyes, "Neither of us said otherwise. I simply said I'm going to a meeting now. Sharon's going home to change. We'll get to dinner, eventually."

"Not dating," Provenza grumbled under his breath. Sharon just let out a couple of muffled chuckles and looked to Andy.

"I'm ready. Good night, Lieutenant," she nodded to him as she and Andy walked side by side toward the elevator. Once they were on the elevator, Sharon turned toward Andy, "Any preference on dinner?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "I get my preference on company, so whatever she wants to bring for dinner is fine by me."

The elevator arrived at the parking area, and they walked toward their cars. Andy's car was usually close to Sharon's; she had a reserved spot, and he was usually within three or four cars of hers. Once at Sharon's car, she turned to him and put her arm on his, "Take your time at your meeting."

"I will," he looked to the ground and nodded. He used his free hand to move hair out of her face, "Be careful going home and driving over to my place. You still have that key, I assume?" Andy and Sharon had keys to each of their homes. They'd done that after Stroh had escaped. Andy had told her over and over how worried he was about her safety, and she'd given him a key for the "what if" situation she hoped would never happen. After Rusty's letters from before and Stroh's escape, neither wanted to take a chance of Stroh breaking into her condo. Andy had given her a key to his house for safety, telling her if she ever didn't feel safe, she was welcome to come to his house, day or night, no questions asked. He'd been a friend, and she appreciated that. Neither had used their keys, but tonight, it might come in handy if Andy was running late.

Sharon held up her key ring, "Right here," she nodded to the one with a green tab on the top. "Color coded because green is your favorite color. I had to have a way to distinguish it from all the men's keys I have on my key ring." Andy flashed a surprised look when he glanced to her key ring and saw she had other color-coded keys. Sharon caught his surprised look, rolled her eyes, touched, his hand to catch his gaze, and continued to reassure him. "The blue key goes to Rusty's car, and the red key is for Ricky's apartment-the other men," she teased.

"I can't believe you did that," Andy chuckled at the keys and the fact he'd been caught off guard with the "other men" comment. He dug his keys out of his pants and flashed his keys in front of her. "Notice anything?" and pointed to a key that had a purple marking on it. "I did the same, but no other color coding on my key ring," he winked. "Just wanted to make sure I knew which one was yours."

"Great minds," she flashed a smile. "I'll see you soon," she gestured toward his car. "Go to your meeting."

"Yes, Ma'am," he winked and turned toward his car after she'd gotten in hers.

It ended up being 9:00 before Sharon arrived at Andy's house. He'd arrived shortly before she had, which she knew because he called her to make sure she wasn't held up. He sounded happy, and she hoped his meeting had helped. She wasn't sure she was going to get into a lengthy discussion this evening; it was already late, and both were tired, but she was going to do her best to flirt a little with him tonight. She'd gotten spaghetti from one of Andy's favorite places, along with cannoli for dessert. It was near his house, and she'd called in the order on her way.

Andy was waiting for her because he flung open the door as she was getting out of her car. She heard it and looked up to see him making his way across his lawn.

"Great news," he grinned as he helped Sharon with the food. She looked up at him, surprised.

"What's that?" she smiled.

"Nicole called me as I was on my way home, and her firm can get the team tickets to the Dodger game on the 4th! Sharon, this Saturday, we'll be watching the Dodgers. Game, fireworks-it's going to be great!" he exclaimed.

Sharon's smile widened, "Oh, Andy, that sounds wonderful. Tell me about it," she inquired as they walked toward his house. She looped her arm through his as they walked across the lawn. He nudged her in first and followed behind closing the door.

"Her boss knows I work for the LAPD, and he said they had bought boxed seats for the 4th. Anyway, they wanted to offer them to a first responder type group, and he went to Nicole asking if I'd want them. It's enough for the team, and don't worry," he held up one had and the take-out bag was still in that hand too, "I already asked her, and of course, Rusty can come too. She knows you are still worried about letting him out of your sight. Plus," he shrugged, "it's the Dodgers. Kid has only been to a couple of games, that one with Provenza and me, and then we've taken him now, what, I guess twice, so yeah, the kid has only been to three games. Another game will be good for him. I hope you don't have plans."

"No plans," Sharon said as they put the food on the counter. "Of course, we are on call up through the 2nd, so if we have a case-" she trailed off.

Andy nodded, waving a hand, "I know, I know. We could always catch a case, but Sharon, the Dodgers," he turned, resting his arm on the counter to look at her and talk.

She smiled brightly, "I know that is your dream holiday, to spend it watching the Dodgers."

"Well, yeah," he grinned, "Dodgers, you, the team, great evening for sure."

Sharon shifted so she was leaning against the counter too, just facing toward Andy. She started to run her fingers up his arm in a playful and soothing gesture, "I guess we'll get the chance to wear our matching hats," she said sweetly. "You know Provenza will comment on those." Andy rolled an eye as he continued to smile at Sharon. "You'll have to save me a seat next to you. I like sitting with you at baseball games. We can talk baseball terminology. There shouldn't be any strike-outs that night," she teased, but then started to fumble. "No home runs either," she said in a panic, and she noted Andy looked thoroughly confused. She could tell he wasn't following her flirting at all. "I just mean," she stammered, "we could discuss, ah, the different bases."

Andy gave her a confused look, moving his head back to get a better look at her. "Sharon, are you okay? Of course, I'll sit by you. We always sit next to each other at games. I need you there to make fun of Provenza with me. Plus, he just gets irritated seeing the two of us talking anyway," he grinned. "You know as much about baseball as I do. It would be great to see a home run on the 4th of July," he grinned. Sharon looked away, embarrassed by her poor attempt to flirt, and she patted his arm, where she realized her hand still was on his.

"Let's eat," she suggested. "We can talk about the game specifics more over dinner," she added, trying to get away from her thoughts. Oh, it had gone horribly wrong. She'd gotten flustered again, not meaning to suggest a "home run" in non-baseball terms. She was terrible at this. Thankfully, Andy had missed the reference, obviously stuck on the specifics of the actual game.

"So, what's for dinner tonight?" Andy asked as he started to unpack the food. "I don't have to be detective to guess Italian. Question is what did you decide?"

"Spaghetti," she announced, "salad, and cannoli for dessert. I know we had vegetable lasagna last weekend, so I didn't want to go that route. Plus, their spaghetti portion is huge, so I just got one order and thought we could share it."

"Perfect," Andy nodded in agreement. "I'm hungry, but a mix of spaghetti, salad, and dessert sounds just right."

"By now, I know you can never go wrong with Italian," she teased and flashed a flirty smile at Andy. He was busy separating the food and seemed to miss the comment and the flirting. She scoffed and walked to the kitchen to get each of them a glass of water. As she got their water, she realized he hadn't commented on her outfit, not that it was a problem, but she'd gone in the opposite direction tonight. The other night, she'd worn a dress. Tonight, she had on jeans, a pair of strappy, flat sandals, and a basic t-shirt. It wasn't that she was expecting a compliment, but she'd accessorized her outfit with a long necklace Andy had given her last year for her birthday, and she hoped he'd at least notice that. It was still early in the evening.

She carried the drinks to the table, and Andy held her chair for her to sit. He sat himself next to adjacent to her at the head of the table, and the two began eating.

"If you want on Saturday, I'll pick you and Rusty up for the game," Andy said between bites. "That way, we can ride together, but we also only have to pay for one car to park."

"Sure," Sharon smiled. "If you want to come early, I'll make us all something to eat, something light. Maybe I can make a summer salad before we go."

"I know your game, Sharon," he winked. "You need to eat something really healthy before going to that game so you can justify the Dodger Dog and nachos you'll eat at the game."

Sharon eyed him, "I will not admit to any such thing."

"I know," he winked. "And, that food will just appear in your lap, purchased by a mystery man."

"Oh," Sharon looked up, seeing a chance to flirt. She folded her hands and rested her chin on them, "I hope he's tall and handsome. In my dreams, a tall, handsome man brings me my favorite junk food at the Dodger game."

"Well, in your dreams, I'm sure he can be anything or anyone you want," he flashed a smile back at her. "Unfortunately, in real life, he's just an old detective who wants to make sure you have a nice day."

"Andy," Sharon sighed, shaking her head. The conversation she'd wanted to be light and flirty had taken another wrong turn. She tried to change the conversation. "Please don't let Provenza get me my food," she flashed another smile, hoping to get him laughing. "Yes, he's an old detective, but he's not tall."

Andy put down his fork and started to laugh. She'd at least broken the tension and decided to try a different approach. She touched his arm, "How is your spaghetti?"

He nodded, regaining his composure, "Good, very good." He looked to Sharon, where she'd decided to try looking flirty with her food. She'd seen it on a movie once and thought she could pull it off herself. She started twirling her spaghetti on her fork, noting she'd caught Andy's eye. She moved it to her mouth, and when it was almost there, a big blob of it fell on her t-shirt. Her face was close enough to her plate, that when the rest of it hit the plate, it splashed up, splattering her glasses. Even worse, she thought she'd gotten some in her mouth, and she ended up making a large slurping sound as she sucked in one noodle instead of the five or so she'd imagined.

Andy jumped up, "Sharon, are you okay? Let me get you a rag to wipe that up." Sharon sighed as she put down her fork. That failed miserably, and she took off her glasses to wipe them off. She took the rag from Andy, a little more forcefully than she wanted, not that she was mad at him, but because everything she'd tried had failed.

"Thank you," she said immediately to convey she wasn't mad at him. He sat back down and looked to her with concern.

"I am not sure what happened there," he gestured to her mess.

"I'm not either. I just lost a bite of food and somehow, it went downhill from there. Spaghetti won that round," she joked. Andy chuckled and Sharon finished wiping off her glasses. She looked to her shirt, now a big spot on it. She looked to Andy, and he was watching with concern.

"Sorry about your shirt. I'll be glad to throw it in the wash," he offered, "I've got plenty of t-shirts you can grab from my room if you want."

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Sharon said as she stood. "I don't even need to wash this right now, but I might spray it so the stain doesn't set."

"Help yourself to anything in my room," he offered. "I can get you something."

"No," she said as she was now standing behind him as he was seated at the table. She put her hands on his shoulders, "I'll be fine. I'll grab an old shirt, spray this, and I'll be right back. Stay and eat. There's no reason we both need to eat cold meals." Andy reached up and patted her hand as he turned and gave her a sympathetic glance. Sharon made her way to his room and heard him call out to her.

"Shirts are top drawer of the tall chest," he said. She moved to that, opened the drawer, and she found one of his LAPD shirts. She knew he wouldn't mind her wearing that, so she changed quickly and then moved to his laundry room to spray her shirt. When she returned to the table, she noticed he'd waited and hadn't eaten anything else.

"Andy, you didn't have to wait," she sighed, as she approached the table. He turned to look at her and shrugged.

"If I wanted to eat alone, I wouldn't have asked you to dinner," he smiled warmly to her. "I don't mind. Sorry that is so big on you," he gestured to the shirt.

"Are you kidding?" she threw him an amused look as she sat down. "You're apologizing for letting me borrow a shirt after I made more of a mess on mine than a preschooler does? Andy, don't apologize. I should thank you."

Andy leaned in and smiled, "Well, those shirts don't look good on anybody, at least I thought," he grinned. "Somehow, you make even those ugly issued LADP shirts look good."

Sharon smiled at him as she could feel the color changing in her face. She batted her eyes at him, as she reached over and tugged on one of his suspenders, "Well, if I have to be honest, I thought about putting on a pair of your suspenders to help with the shirt," she said and as she said it, she realizes she sounded like an idiot. Certainly, if Provenza were here, he'd be yelling at her for sounding and acting like a total idiot right now, but she was this far into another flirting attempt, she couldn't turn back now, "but, I knew that suspenders didn't really help with shirts that are too big. They are really meant for pants, to hold up pants, or to look fashionable, as you look with yours. I didn't mean to insinuate that you need to hold up your pants, Andy," she sighed and started to pull back. She realized she had his suspender in her hand and released it, not realizing it was going to snap at Andy.

"Ow! " Andy exclaimed when his suspender snapped and hit him in the chest. He winced in pain and pulled back, spilling his glass of water in the process. Sharon jumped up, apologizing for the suspender snap and sprang into action to mop up the water that hadn't ruined the food, but had started to spill onto the floor.

Andy stood, rubbing his chest where she'd snapped his suspender, and he stopped her frantic movements. "Sharon," he offered a small smile, "It's okay. It's just water. Thank you for helping."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, rubbing her head. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I am a mess."

Andy took the now wet towel and made one more swipe to get the water collected. He walked to his sink and dropped the towel and then walked back to Sharon who was standing in the same spot, clearly frazzled.

"Hey," he put his arm on her elbow and waited until she looked at him. "It's been a long couple of days. Just relax. We're having dinner, what could still be a nice one," he smiled sweetly at her. She nodded and started to move, but he tugged on her arm. "Let me help with this," he grabbed at her shirt, which was hanging almost to her knees. She watched as he twisted up the one side and tied it into a quick knot. "There, much better," he flashed a huge grin at her now. "Very stylish, Captain," he winked.

Sharon looked down where he'd knotted her shirt and let out a small laugh, "You're better at fashion than I am," she teased. "Now, I look like high school Emily did." She moved back to her seat, and Andy moved quickly to hold her chair again. He sat back down and shrugged at her.

"Where do you think I learned that?" he nodded to the knot. "High school Nicole too. She wasn't thrilled with me back then, but she did have to stay with me every other weekend then. I remember the look. It was very much in fashion then, and I think you've now brought back the look."

Sharon chuckled as she resumed eating. The two were quite as they finished their meal.

"I know you are probably too tired to talk tonight," Andy stated as they finally finished eating, "but know I'm always here for you when you are ready. Like I said before, if Stroh isn't on your mind, I know something is."

"Thank you," she put her hand on his. "I appreciate it, and yes, it's getting late. We've had several missteps tonight; I think I need to quit, well, not while I'm ahead," she chuckled, "because that would have meant my going home when I got here, but quit before it gets worse."

Andy shook his head at her as if disagreeing with her assessment of the evening. The two began clearing dinner, and Sharon remembered she had brought dessert.

"Oh, I have cannoli too!" she exclaimed. She got it out, and continued, "They only had one left for the evening, so we'll have to share. Would you like some?" she held it up, offering him the first bite.

Andy turned from the sink and grinned, "Sure. He took it from her hand, missing another attempt of her trying to flirt. She'd hoped he'd just take a bite of it from her, but then she realized if he had it now, she could take a bite of it from his grip. He turned to her, and she got ready to take a bite too.

"Oh, here," he nodded to it to hand it back to her, "my hands are all soapy. I don't want it to slip in the sink. I had a huge bite. The rest is for you."

Sharon slumped back against the counter, just out of Andy's line of sight and chewed on the rest of it. She really needed to get out of here. It had been another night of missed cues. She just needed sleep. The Dodger game was coming up, and she could try again then, or after the game when the team wasn't around.

"Oh, did I tell you Buzz asked me to do his ride-along with him?" Andy asked her as he now wiped off his hands. She snapped out of her daze and looked to him. Oh, he was handsome in his work pants, suspenders, and dress shirt, sleeves now rolled up to his elbows.

"No," she smiled. "That was thoughtful of him. I knew his ride-along was coming up, but when is he doing that?"

"The evening of the 3rd, after work," he held up a hand, "so, no, don't worry, Captain," he winked. "It will not interfere with regular work hours. I'll ride with him that night, and I guess now, I'll come home, grab a few hours of shut eye, and then I'll head your way to get you and Rusty for the game. I hadn't thought about all that until just now, but it will work. Just make sure I don't fall asleep during the game," he chuckled. "You might have to do something to keep me awake at the game," he continued to chuckle.

She saw another opportunity, so she tried flirting again, "Oh, so maybe if I whisper in your ear?" she teased as she moved closer to him and demonstrated by standing on her tip toes to whisper. "I could tell you stories all evening to keep you awake."

Andy missed it again, grinning at her, "Well, as much as I love your stories, you and I both know that when I'm tired, no one talking to me can keep me awake. You'll have to keep an eye on me to make sure I stay awake."

"Right," Sharon nodded as she stepped back. " It's getting late, so I should probably get going."

"Yeah," Andy nodded as he looked to his clock. Sharon followed his gaze and saw his Dodger hat hanging there on the hook by the clock. As she gathered her things to leave, she snagged the hat too. Andy watched her with an amused expression.

"You'll just have to get this back from me on Saturday," she teased, her one last attempt at flirting for the evening. "Well, that and this shirt," she gestured to Andy's shirt she was wearing. "If you want these back, you'll have to come for them."

Andy's expression turned to confusion, "Ahh, okay, but the hat is yours, Sharon. You left it in my car last Dodger game we went too. I've just kept it there so I remember it next game. I kept forgetting to tell you I had your hat."

"Oh," Sharon sighed, trying hard not to roll her eyes. "Thanks for keeping it."

"Sure," he nodded to her as he followed her to the door. "Don't worry about the shirt. Just keep it. I have a ton of them," he waved off. "Besides, if you ever want to feel like high school Emily, just put it on and tie up the side like I did tonight," he grinned.

She smiled and nodded to him, "I might need you to help me with that," she teased. Andy glanced at her and his expression changed again.

"You don't know how to tie that? It's a simple one," he started to say. Sharon put her arm on his.

"Andy, it was just a joke," she said, her eyes sparkling. "We are both too tired to even think. Goodnight, Andy," she said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. He opened the door for her and kissed her cheek as she walked outside.

"Be careful, Sharon. Call me when you get home," he told her.

"I will," she said. "I'm so tired, I think this shirt will work double duty tonight as my pajamas too," she grinned to Andy. He looked a little surprised at her comment and then repeated.

"Call me when you get home, please. I don't' want to worry about you. Thank you for dinner, Sharon. I had a nice evening," he told her.

"Me too, Andy," she nodded as she stepped into her car. "I can't wait for the fireworks on the 4th!" she exclaimed as she closed her door and pulled out of his driveway. As she drove away, she smacked her head. "Fireworks on the 4th!" she groaned. "That was her parting comment? Even that comment could have multiple meanings, Sharon herself, not exactly sure how that one should be taken. It had just slipped out; it wasn't a comment she'd put any thought into, which was no surprise. Oh, every single thing tonight had resulted in a misstep, and she was sure Andy thought she was completely crazy. At this point, he wasn't far off on that thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**People have commented Andy is clueless, and I wanted to point out, that while he appears that way, he's not. He knows Sharon better than anyone and is giving her some space right now. I also wanted to convey that Sharon isn't aware she tries too hard. She does just fine when she's not focused on flirting, as you'll see in this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"So, about tonight," Sharon said after she'd greeted Andy on the phone. She'd made it home from his house in one piece, still irritated at herself for her stupid comments. She'd even spoken to Rusty for a few minutes when she'd arrived at the house and hoped her scattered mentality tonight wasn't too obvious to him. After promising him to be home for dinner the next night, barring any call-outs, she took a shower and got ready for bed, which is now where she found herself, in bed and on the phone with Andy.

"Yeah?" Andy questioned wondering what Sharon was going to say.

"I'm sorry if I was in a strange mood. I'm working on that," she told him. "I do want to talk to you; it was just late already tonight."

"Sharon, it's okay," Andy told her. "No need to apologize. Thank you for driving all the way here with dinner. I appreciated it, both dinner and the company."

"I enjoyed dinner and the company too, Andy," she smiled as she stretched out in bed. "I might just take you up on your offer," she continued, still vague that he had to ask.

"Offer?" he inquired.

"The shirt," she told him. "You told me to just keep this shirt. I just might do that. It might be a hideous LAPD shirt, but it is quite comfortable."

"Oh," he teased. "I guess you are still wearing it if we are still discussing it."

"I was afraid of staining any of my own clothing," she chuckled. "I did not get any of my nighttime face cream on the shirt."

Andy chuckled and then changed topics, "So, this ride along I have to do Friday night. We briefly talked about it, but we won't be able to go to dinner or a movie like we've done the past few weeks."

"Andy, it's more than fine," she told him. "We're going to the baseball game on Saturday, and you need to do this for Buzz."

"Just wanted to clarify that," Andy told her. "Sorry it's on a normal night we go out and do something. I'm sort of surprised you hadn't mentioned wanting to do something for Buzz, knowing your sense of occasion."

"Hmm, see, we do think alike. I did think of that on the way home. We should have a cake or something before the ride along, a little party. It's a big evening for Buzz, and well, you need something to eat before you spend all day and then all-night working."

"I'll be fine, Sharon," he told her. "Don't worry about me."

"But, I will worry about you," she told him and realizing that sounded a bit heavy for where they were in their non-relationship relationship, she quickly amended, "I worry about the grease pit you will drag Buzz to for a patrol shift. Those never end well. If you end up not feeling well, that could ruin the baseball game."

Andy offered a small chuckle, "Okay, Sharon. I'll make sure to eat well, you know, so you don't worry about me."

"Thank you. I'll take care of ordering a cake, and I'll probably bring a bowl of fresh fruit," she told him.

"Sounds nice. You let me know where you order the cake, and I'll go out and get it during lunch on Friday," he told her.

"You don't have to do that, Andy," Sharon said. "I can go pick it up."

"Great. Done. We can go get it Friday during lunch, and while we are out, we'll get some lunch. Otherwise, Buzz will suspect something if we both leave for lunch and don't eat it," he explained.

"Oh, smooth, Andy," Sharon teased. "I see how that worked. Suddenly, I've been roped into lunch with you on Friday, where I'm guessing we'll argue about who pays the bill."

"There will be no argument," he told her. "Rule stands whoever invites, pays. I invited, so I pay, which also means that I pay for the cake since I offered to pick it up, and you just fell into that invitation."

"Andy! This is insane. You aren't going to pay for my lunch and a cake for my team!" Sharon exclaimed. She lowered her voice before Rusty came to see if something was wrong.

"Watch me," he teased. "Now, it's late. Are we really going to argue about a few dollars right now? I'm sure we could come up with other topics. Let's discuss dinner tomorrow. Plans?"

"Do I plan to eat dinner?" she teased him right back. "Yes, I do plan to eat dinner, but I already have plans."

"You do?" Andy asked, a bit surprised. "Oh, are you going out with Andrea again?"

"Rusty complained we hadn't had burgers in forever," as he told me when I got home. Now, keep in mind, the child has his own car and own ability to go out for burgers. I should have told him to call Provenza since he was also commenting on burgers earlier. Anyway, Rusty asked if we could have burgers tomorrow, and while I have no desire to go out for them tomorrow, I told him we could grill out here at the condo. I've just got to stop and pick up the meat on the way home, but he requested burgers and baked beans. I'll sneak in some healthy sides like maybe another fruit salad or something, but it will be a healthier burger option than we'd have anywhere else."

"Burgers with Rusty. That's tough competition for me," he teased.

"Well, you're welcome to come eat with us, but it doesn't scream vegetarian," she said.

"I'll come eat with you, that is, if you don't mind. Rusty said he wanted to talk to me about that Alice case soon, and since you've told me you're trying to stay away from it, consider it a close set of eyes on the case for you. Kid will want to play chess too, where I'm sure to lose. I always lose to him," Andy grumbled in defeat.

Sharon started to laugh, "Everyone loses to Rusty, Andy. You're a much better chess player than I am. I'm always glad you give him a bit of a challenge. I think you're the best player he plays against. Now, regarding dinner, of course you are invited. We'd love to have you join us. I'll get some of those vegetarian burgers at the store. I had some here, but I think Rusty even broke down one day and finished those off when he was desperate for food, and I hadn't been to the store."

"Sounds like a plan," Andy told her. "In fact, if we finish at the same time tomorrow, I'll go to the store with you on the way to your condo, and since I know you really don't enjoy grilling out, I'll happily volunteer my vegetarian chef services to grill your burgers."

Sharon burst out laughing, "Thank you. It does seem crazy I'm asking a vegetarian to grill my meat."

"Always willing to help, Sharon," he smirked.

"I so enjoy talking to you," Sharon said now in a softer voice. "You really just get me, Andy."

"I really enjoy talking to you too, Sharon. In my case, no one else wants to talk to me," he teased. Sharon chuckled at that too.

"I guess I should hang up now," she said. "Sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Sweet dreams, Sharon. Let's pray we don't catch a case the rest of the week. We could all use a break, and I've already got two meals planned with you in just the last few minutes, not to mention the party for Buzz on Friday, and the day with you on Saturday at the baseball game. I don't want to have to cancel any of that."

"I'm looking forward to all of that. Night," she smiled as she hung up.

Wednesday morning turned out to be a much-needed paperwork day. The team had a string of cases, and they'd had very little down time. Sharon had arrived to find her favorite hot tea waiting on her desk. As she sipped it, she realized she wouldn't have an opportunity to talk to Andy during dinner. Rusty would be home, so she would need to put her feelings and really, her flirting on hold. Trying to flirt around Rusty was recipe for disaster, so she told herself that no plans would be made to flirt. It would be a regular evening at home, and she'd act like her normal self. After working most of the day on paperwork, Sharon told the team to go home right at 5:00. They'd been working a lot of overtime, and really, she should have released them earlier than that. She made a mental note to do that the next day if they didn't catch a case. As she stood in her doorway telling the team to have a nice evening, she looked to Andy who was turning off his computer.

"Still up for the carnivore special at my house?" she teased him as he cleaned up his desk. He turned toward her and found her grinning at him.

"Of course," he flashed a huge smile. "Who wouldn't be up for that? Although," he lowered his voice and used his head to encourage Sharon to move closer. She did, putting her hands on his desk and leaning down to hear what he had to say, "you'd better watch how loudly you talk about the carnivore special at your house. Provenza might be lurking, and he has no problems inviting himself anywhere," he whispered. When Sharon started laughing, her hair fell in her face as she looked toward the ground. Andy moved it out of her face so he could meet her eyes. He shrugged at her, as if it shouldn't be a surprise.

"Thank you for the warning," she bit her lip as she smiled to him. "Perhaps, then, we should get out of here before a lurking Provenza follows us."

"Don't have to tell me twice," he winked. "Now, I have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" she stood up now and looked down to him as he sat in his chair, fingers folded on his chest. "Andy, I'm not that kind of girl," she smirked at his reference. He rolled his eyes and smiled back at her.

"One can try," he winked to her, "but, Captain Raydor, you are the one who went there," he pointed to her. "I made no such inappropriate reference. In fact, I was offering my services as an officer of the law to escort my captain home. I know she's had a long week, and I would be happy-it would be my pleasure to offer her a ride, just of course, as an escort."

Sharon crossed her arms and fought back a smile, "So, first you proposition me, and now you are calling me an escort?" she teased. Andy dropped his head in silent laughter.

"Yeah, that's exactly what it is," he looked up to her. "You know my reputation, Captain," he winked and stood. "Really, I was going to offer to drive if you don't need your car later. We can ride together, and I'll be happy to pick you up in the morning."

"You don't need to do that," she told Andy. "It's out of your way."

"And?" Andy teased. "Done. I'm going to pick you up. Just don't write me up, Captain, for the proposition or escort suggestion," he winked again. Sharon didn't argue, partly because she really enjoyed spending time with Andy, and now that she was moving past the Stroh mess, she realized she'd really missed doing anything with Andy. For once, she decided not to argue and accept his invitation instead.

"I don't know, Lieutenant," as she walked back into her office to get her things. Andy could still hear her, as he'd now moved to her doorway. "You might win the affection of most of the LAPD if you are written up for propositioning a captain, suggesting she be your escort."

Andy shrugged, "I hadn't thought of it like that," he grinned. "I'll file that for later. Might need it another time. Besides, I don't need the affection of the whole LAPD, just my favorite captain."

Sharon put her hand up, "Stop. This conversation is getting worse by the moment." She continued to laugh as she collected her things, not wanting to admit what Andy had said had been very sweet and almost made her blush. As she closed her office door, Andy snagged her briefcase from her. "Thank you," she nodded to him. "Let's start carnivore night."

The two walked into Sharon's condo an hour later, both laughing. Rusty turned from his seat on the couch. Sharon hadn't told him Andy would be joining them; Rusty was still asleep when Sharon had left for work.

"Oh, hey Lieutenant," he gave an odd glance to him. "You staying for dinner? It's not that it's a problem, but did Sharon tell you we're having burgers-at least I thought we were having burgers." Rusty turned his head slightly and looked to Sharon, almost checking to see if that was still the plan.

"Carnivore night?" Andy teased as he put Sharon's briefcase on her desk. Sharon moved toward the kitchen, a couple bags of groceries in her hand. Andy had the rest of the groceries in his other hand. "I'm in for carnivore night," he smiled.

Rusty looked to Sharon with another strange look, and then he looked back to Andy. "You two are just plain weird," he sighed.

"Hello, Rusty," Sharon smiled, as she put the bags down and moved over to pat him on the shoulders. He'd sat back down on the couch, and he looked up when he felt Sharon touch his shoulders. Andy was standing to the side, still, by Sharon's desk. Rusty looked between the two of them again, unsure what was going on.

"Is this like some intervention?" he asked, looking between the adults again. "Sharon, you need to tell me something, so you're both here as my morale support?"

"No, nothing like that," Sharon smiled, squeezing his shoulder and moving away. "Dinner, just a simple dinner. I invited Andy to eat. He told me he'd been practicing and was ready to beat you at chess."

Rusty hopped up off the couch, "Oh, that's not happening. Lieutenant, I'll get the board ready. Sharon, you do realize he hasn't beaten me yet, right?"

"Oh, I'm aware," Sharon sighed. "Andy has reminded me of that repeatedly. Andy followed Sharon into the kitchen where the two started working on dinner. Rusty reappeared and set up the chess board at the kitchen table.

"Crap, that means if you're here, Lieutenant, we're eating something like really healthy. Sharon, please tell me that you at least got real meat?" Rusty groaned.

"So, you're not wanting to eat these?" Andy said with a serious expression as he held up the box of veggie burgers.

Rusty made a disgusted face, eyeing both Andy and Sharon, "Please! What is wrong with you two? Growing boy here," he pointed to himself. "I ask myself all the time how I ended up here, stuck eating the stuff you two like and always make me eat. For once, could you not make me eat those?"

"I'm pretty sure I didn't make you eat these," Andy waved the box at him. "As memory serves, I had a box of those in Sharon's freezer, and they are gone. Sharon didn't eat them, but vaguely remembers you polishing off the box when the refrigerator was down to a 'Mother Hubbard Bare Cupboard' type of day."

"Who's Mother Hubbard?" Rusty made a face, trying to figure out the reference.

Andy rolled his eyes and glanced to Sharon. She covered her face with her hand and started laughing. She looked up to Andy and shrugged, "He didn't grow up with nursery rhymes." She turned to Rusty, "Rusty, you can stop the fit," she grinned as she held up the package of meat. "Yes, we got real meat. You and I can have this. Andy is going to eat the veggie burgers and apparently keep count of how many are in the box," she smirked as she looked to Andy.

"Hey! I would like to know that if I have dinner here, I have food, especially when I bought it," he commented. "Maybe I'll use a permanent marker to note the number left in the box and write 'Andy' on the box."

"Oh, don't start," Sharon pointed to him, as Rusty started to laugh. "You're the one who stuck his credit card in the machine before I could even finish unloading the groceries from the cart."

"I was doing something nice," he acted surprised. "I basically invited myself to dinner, so the least I could do was pay."

"Or not come," Rusty smirked, "just like we wouldn't be out of your food if you didn't eat here all the time." The two finally got on the same page, Andy and Sharon, and rolled their eyes at each other. They smiled and went back to preparing dinner, not another word exchanged.

"You two are weird," Rusty nodded to himself again. "I just don't get it. It's like the weirdness spreads. I've got to get out of this family," Rusty grumbled again, and both Sharon and Andy chuckled as they worked.

"Ready to lose, Kid?" Andy teased Rusty as he finished cutting the fruit.

"We'd better play now before your mind starts going for the evening. What do they call that for old people-sundowning?" he smirked.

Sharon put her knife down and covered her face again with her arm, "Stop!" she burst out laughing. "You two are terrible."

"Well, Mom," Rusty said for emphasis, "you're the one who brought both of us home," he said with a sense of pride at getting a jab in at Sharon. Andy started laughing now, and Sharon used her hip to nudge him.

"Legally, I can send you both packing, too," she enunciated her words. "You're over 18, even if you are legally my son," she pointed her knife, that she'd picked back up, at him. She turned to Andy, "You're, well," she gestured with her knife, "always here and my ride tomorrow, so you can stay, and I'll send you packing after dinner."

"What's wrong with your car?" Rusty asked, picking up on the ride part.

"Nothing," Sharon shrugged. "We just decided to ride together."

"Ahh, yes, of course, why not?" Rusty teased. "Lieutenant, we can play after dinner if you want. I need to take care of things on my computer." Andy nodded and Rusty disappeared. Sharon waited until he was out of sight, and she started laughing again.

"The two of you sound almost like you and Provenza," she turned to Andy.

"What?" Andy asked in defense. "It's easy to make jokes with him."

"I like that you joke around with him," Sharon smiled and nudged him with her hip again. "He's comfortable around you. You know how Rusty is. He retreats whenever he is uncomfortable. He doesn't do that when you are here. Did you see," she gestured to the chess board, "he got that right away. He is looking forward to playing after dinner."

"Well, your theory is off," he gestured. "Captain, one from your ranks has retreated."

She smiled, "No, he didn't retreat. If I had to bet, he's texting any of our other children-mine or yours, possibly all of them-letting them know we are here all having dinner."

Andy plopped a strawberry in his mouth and smiled to Sharon, "I don't think he is. Want to actually bet on that?"

"You're on," she smiled, taking a new strawberry out of his hands and eating it for herself. "What is our wager? You and the team bet all the time, so you are better at this than I am, at least determining the wager part. I'm going to win the bet. I bet that before the night is over we hear from one of our kids."

He nodded, "I'll take that bet. Okay, if you lose, you have to actually sit down and tell me what's been on your mind lately. You said it's not Stroh, so fine, but I know you well, and you're going to talk. I'll make you talk," he grinned.

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Fine, I'm not going to lose, so I'm not worried about the bet. What happens when I win?" she teased.

Andy looked up and thought for a moment, "Okay," he smiled. "You win, and I will wear my police uniform all day Friday, not just for Friday night's ride along. I remember a certain person, who shall remain nameless," he grinned, "once told me that I looked-what was it-dashing? I think I remember I was told once by my boss, nonetheless, that I looked dashing in it when I had to escort her to a charity event.

Sharon pursed her lips, "No, I believe I said you wouldn't be able to do much dashing in it," she tried not to laugh. "It was getting a little snug," she tugged at his waist area. Andy's jaw dropped open, and Sharon raised her hands in defense. "I'm sorry; I couldn't resist."

"Sharon Raydor!" he exclaimed. "I told you I could make you talk," he reached to her and started to move his hand along her neck. "I remember your odd ticklish spot, Sharon," as he continued to move his hand on the back of her neck.

"Oh, stop," she started to laugh as she squirmed her way around the kitchen. Andy followed and continued, as she kept laughing. "Uncle!"

"I'm not your uncle," he exclaimed.

"Oh, crap, is this some weird thing again?" they were interrupted by Rusty walking in and staring at them with an odd look. Sharon and Andy stopped and turned to Rusty, still laughing.

"I'll start the grill," Andy chuckled, and Sharon nodded in agreement.

"Why am I always in the middle of this?" Rusty shook his head, the disgust still on his face.

Sharon heard Andy's phone go off. He'd put it on the counter just by her. She picked it up as she called for him, "Andy, someone is texting you." She looked to the phone, and she didn't have to read anything after seeing the message sender said, 'Nicole.'

Andy walked back inside from the grill, and Sharon nodded to him as she handed him his phone. He gave her an odd look, and when he looked at his own phone, he rolled his eyes to Sharon. Rusty watched the interaction, not knowing what was going on, and when Andy smirked at Sharon about the text, Sharon just shrugged her shoulders and then started to chuckle before she spoke.

"Dust off the uniform," she smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes, this is a shorter chapter, but I needed a bridge, or a "buffer" to the next one. I rewrote it several times, but here you go. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sharon finished wiping off the kitchen counter while she watched Andy and Rusty play chess at the dining room table. The room had been silent for several minutes; the guys were concentrating on the game. She smiled as she watched them; Andy was good for Rusty. As she thought about it, she knew she had to admit Andy was good for her too. They'd had a really nice dinner, one of the nicest in a long time. As she thought about that, she realized that she wasn't nervous. They'd gotten along just as they had the last couple of years, but she hadn't been focused on flirting with him. Their easy-going banter had been fun, one of the things she enjoyed about Andy. He was fun, and he made her laugh. She smiled a lot and relaxed when they were joking back and forth. She was terrible at flirting, but she could joke with Andy about almost anything.

This whole thing with Andy was getting ridiculous. She really needed to speak to him. If she ever had any plans to have a romantic relationship with him, she needed to put her nervousness aside and just talk to the man. He deserved that much; he'd been by her side for a very long time now. She'd been the one to keep him at an arm's length, so she owed it to him to at least let him know her feelings had changed; she wanted more.

As she finished with the kitchen, she moved to the table and sat down next to Andy to watch the game. Both men glanced to her, and they looked back to the board. Sharon could tell Rusty was ahead, again, which was no surprise, but she knew with chess it was not always about who looked ahead at the moment.

"Check," Rusty said a few minutes later. Sharon heard Andy groan and then saw him wipe his hand over his face. She patted his arm and continued to watch. "Checkmate," Rusty said a minute later as he looked to Andy and Sharon and smiled.

Andy sighed, and Sharon chuckled quietly. "Good game, Kid," Andy told him.

"Thanks," Rusty beamed. "You almost had me. I think that's the best game we've had."

"The longest, too," Sharon smiled checking her watch. "It's already after 9:00."

Andy glanced to Sharon frowning, "When did you change?" She now had on short and a comfortable t-shirt.

"About a half hour ago. I finished cleaning most of the kitchen, went and changed, and then I just wiped down the counters when I came back," she told him, a questioning look on her face. "Why?"

"Did you want to play again, Lieutenant?" Rusty asked.

"Nah, not tonight, Rusty. Next time. It's getting late. I need to go soon, but I'd like to talk to your mom for a few minutes before I leave," he told him.

"Sure," Rusty said as he stood. They collected all the pieces, and Rusty told them, "I'm going to my room to work on the Alice story. Thanks for letting me bounce a few ideas off you, Lieutenant. Night." Andy had Rusty had talked about the case while Andy grilled the meat. Sharon had given them some space and privacy, happy that Rusty felt comfortable to talk to Andy about the case. It had helped that Andy was also the closest one to this particular case. He'd taken it hard, another one of a young girl tragically murdered, but Sharon had remembered just how she'd been able to support him during that case. The two were good for each other. He'd been there for her to lean on him during the Stroh mess, just as she'd been there for him during the Alice case. Now that Rusty was working on it, the two men spent time talking about it together, something Sharon was glad to see. If she did ever get up the courage to speak to Andy and they did ever start dating, she hoped Rusty and Andy would continue to get along this well.

"Night, Rusty. Anytime," he waved at him. Sharon smiled to Rusty as he retreated.

Andy turned back to Sharon, putting his finger to his mouth, "I find it disturbing I didn't notice you'd left to change."

Sharon started to laugh, the two shifting their chairs so they were facing each other. "It's not a big deal, Andy. I told you two to play while I cleaned up things. When I got done, I changed," she shrugged, and then teased him, "Too bad," she smirked. "You missed quite a show back there. No clothes, just prancing around," she smiled.

Andy broke into a huge smile, "Well, next time, send out an invite or something," he joked. "Last time I play chess with the kid when I come over here," he mumbled as he winked to her.

Sharon laughed too and felt her face getting flustered. She cleared her throat, but she didn't know what to say. Andy reached over and took her hands in his. He tapped on her legs, and she knew he was offering to rub her feet. She smiled and put them in his lap as she sat back in the chair to relax. She tried to relax, but her mind kept wandering, and she realized that his rubbing her feet was probably crossing the lines of a friendly gesture.

He continued for a few minutes before saying, "You're fidgeting," as he stilled her hands and held them while he faced her. She looked to him, rolled her eyes, and looked down. "Sharon," he said softly trying to get her to look at him. When she did, he offered a small smile. "Ready to talk?"

"No, I, um, it's getting late, Andy," she said in a breathless state. "Rusty's right there," she added coming up with excuse after excuse.

"What about a few minutes on the balcony?" he suggested. She smiled to him, and they both stood. Andy laced his fingers through hers, and the two walked outside.

"Oh, when did it start raining?" she asked looking around.

"Not sure," he chuckled. "Seems we are not going to be sitting out here."

"How about after the baseball game?" Sharon turned to him, her one hand still in his. "Fireworks?" she smiled, and then again, she realized that could be taken many different ways. Her mind drifted to a different type of firework with Andy. "I mean, we could watch them here after the game. I'm sure they will be going on well into the night."

"Great idea," he said, and the two walked inside, still hand in hand. "I guess I'll get going for tonight. I've got my meeting tomorrow, and then the ride along with Buzz Friday. I guess we will have lunch on Friday, but that will be it until the game on Saturday," he gave her a small frown.

She nodded, "Maybe we can talk after the game, you know, if it's not raining, and we can watch the fireworks outside," she suggested.

"Done," Andy nodded. "Thanks for dinner. The carnivore special was delicious," he said, leaning in to whisper that to her. She started to chuckle as she walked him to the door.

"Night, Rusty," he called down the hall, and the two heard a reply as they got to the door.

"Be careful driving home, and later-" she started to say, but he nodded.

"I'll call you later," he smiled. "Night, Sharon," he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. Sharon embraced him in a hug, their one had still clasped.

"Goodnight," she smiled when they pulled apart. "Thank you for the groceries," she rolled her eyes. Andy winked as he left.

"I'm going to keep an eye on my veggie burgers," he grinned and waved as he left. Sharon closed the door and sunk back against it, sighing. Oh, she was liking that man more and more. Why couldn't she just throw herself at him? Saturday night. They'd talk. They'd go to the game and talk after. She could do that; she could psych herself up for that. She pushed away from the door and moved about the condo closing things for the night. When she got to the kitchen, she decided she wanted a few bites of ice cream, her secret indulgence. She never got a bowl; she always snagged a few bites here and there. She grabbed her spoon and opened the freezer, only to start laughing. Andy had put the veggie burgers in the freezer, and he'd certainly labeled them. She wondered how she missed it because he'd had to have gotten a marker from her desk. On the box, there was a big, "ANDY," written on it, and then right under that, if it needed further clarification, he'd written, "AKA LIEUTENANT." Sharon closed her eyes and started to laugh, holding onto the freezer door as she did. Quickly, she looked around and saw her phone. She took a picture and sent it to Andy, saying, "Here's your picture in case you need to file a stolen property report."

She knew he probably hadn't even left the parking garage yet, and her suspicions were confirmed when he texted her back right away, saying, "Enjoy your ice cream," and put a smiley face next to it. Sharon stomped her foot, wondering how he knew why she was in the freezer. He did know her well, she thought to herself, but realized that if she wanted to date the man, she hoped he knew her well. She pulled out her ice cream and settled against the counter, thinking all sorts of things about her dashing lieutenant.


	10. Chapter 10

"Ready for lunch?" he popped his head into her office without knocking. Anyone else would get an eye for doing that, but never Andy. She snapped out of her daze, and then she tried not to groan out loud. Oh, there was that uniform. She really, really liked his uniform, Andy IN uniform. It had been driving her crazy all day. She knew it, and she knew Andy knew it was driving her crazy too. He'd caught her staring at him throughout the morning and had winked back at her, smirked at her, and flashed his dazzling smile at her on, well, too many occasions to now count.

"Ah, yes," she smiled. She sighed the paperwork in front of her, closing the file. She stood and looked to Andy. He was grinning at her, and she tilted her head to question his expression. 'Yes?" she drew out.

He stood grinning in the doorway, "Oh, nothing," he continued to watch her. "Somehow losing that bet of ours wasn't such a bad deal. Yeah, I've got to wear this thing," he gestured to his uniform, "but, watching you get flustered all morning has been worth every bit of it."

She scoffed at him as she walked around her desk, "I'm not getting flustered." She stopped to talk to him as he stood in her doorway. She ran her hand up his shirt to straighten his tie. He glanced down at her hand and then to her, raising an eyebrow.

"If I'm going to lunch with one of my lieutenants in uniform, he'd better look sharp," she nodded, finishing with his tie and stepping back.

"So, does my appearance classify as dashing?" he grinned. Sharon's face got red, and she heard Andy start laughing.

"I think I'll pick up the cake on my own," he grumbled and started toward her other door.

"Oh, come on, Sharon," he chuckled, as he stepped toward her, tugging on her arm. He flashed his puppy dog face at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"We'd better dash out of here before Buzz puts the pieces together and Provenza tries to tag along," she commented.

"I'll dash," he said, smacking his sides. "I was told my uniform is getting a bit snug, so I need to dash," he winked, gesturing for her to go ahead. She groaned again, and the two walked through the office.

"Lieutenant, we'll be back shortly," she nodded to Provenza. Andy waved to the room, and the rest watched them leave. A quiet, "Idiots," could be heard from Provenza, and the rest of the team chuckled at said idiots as they left.

They had the elevator to themselves, and Sharon glanced to Andy's tie and moved to fix it again. Andy loosely stilled her hands, putting his around her writs. "Captain, that's the fourth time this morning you've messed with my tie," he flashed a grin.

"I can't help it if you keep messing it up," she said as she smoothed it. "There," she smiled. "You wouldn't have to wear it if you hadn't lost the bet."

"The bet," he grumbled. "I can make you talk right here," he smiled, his hand going toward the back of her neck. She ducked out of the way.

"Andy," she sighed. "You're like a child," she hissed and shook her head as the elevator arrived at the parking garage. "I'll drive so you don't have to lose your parking space."

"Oh, thanks. I love parking next to my captain," he grinned as they arrived at her car. They both got in and started toward the bakery. There was a restaurant in the same shopping center, and they had decided to eat there and then get the cake so it didn't melt in the summer heat.

"That game tomorrow is going to be great, Sharon," he smiled, sitting back and relaxing. "I can't wait. The team is excited too. Hopefully, things aren't too crazy for the ride along tonight so I am not too exhausted."

"About that," Sharon told him, "if you are too tired after the game, you don't have to stay and watch the fireworks. I should have thought that through."

"Are you kidding?" he turned to her. "I can't wait for that either. I love watching the fireworks, and you have one of the best views in the city. The company is great too."

"Well, if something comes up, it's not a problem," Sharon said. She took a couple more turns, and then she pulled into the parking lot. "Here we are. That wasn't too bad. I thought about walking, but it's just a bit too far."

"Plus," he nodded, "you have on those killer heels," he smiled. "I'm in this thing," he nodded to his uniform.

"Hmm, two reasons not to walk," she added as they got out of the car and walked into the restaurant. They found a booth and sat, both quiet as they studied the menu.

"What are you ordering?" she asked.

"I guess I shouldn't eat anything. I have been told I need to lose weight," he said playfully.

"Andy," Sharon rolled her eyes, "I was only teasing. You don't need to lose weight. You look very handsome in your uniform?"

"Yeah?" he grinned. "I knew you were teasing," he flashed a smile. "I wanted to see if you'd admit to it and admit you like me in this uniform. Two points for the captain," he winked. Before Sharon could reply the waitress walked over. They both asked for water and placed their orders. Sharon looked to Andy and noticed he was messing with his tooth.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

He started to look around, stood, walked to the counter, and then he returned. Sharon watched with question. He plopped a toothpick in his mouth and explained, "I may have tried out some of your fresh fruit this morning that you put in the break room," he smiled guiltily. "I have a seed or something in my tooth," he explained. Sharon had lost all sense of awareness, as she was now focused on the toothpick. That stupid toothpick. She knew he loved them; she had two boxes in her kitchen just for when he was there. Rusty had even asked about them, Jack too years ago, but she always made sure she had toothpicks on hand for Andy. Now, he was talking, but she wasn't hearing any of it. She was focused on the toothpick.

"Sharon?" he questioned. He stopped talking and looked to her, trying to gauge the faraway look in her eye. "Sharon?" he said again. She watched as he moved the toothpick from side to side as he spoke. Before she knew what she was doing, she snagged it from him and put it on the table. "Sharon?" he asked again.

"What?" she snapped out of it. "Sorry," she blushed. "The toothpick was driving me crazy."

Andy smiled smugly, "So, let me get this straight. The toothpick was bothering you, so you just yanked it out of my mouth? Think you have that right?" he teased.

Sharon's face turned even redder than it had been, "Yes, I do. I needed it gone," she said as she started to push her hair out of her face, her fidgeting mechanism. She started to twirl a strand of her hair, trying to talk her way out of the situation.

Andy nodded once and stood. He walked over to the counter, grabbed another toothpick, and this time when he returned, he slid in the booth next to Sharon. She looked up at him, wondering what he was doing. His hip nudged at her, and she moved over. He put the toothpick back in his mouth and used his hand to still her hair.

"Well, I need this gone," he gestured to her twirling her hair.

"My hair?" she said in a disgusted tone.

"No, the twirling. It's bothering me, driving me crazy," as you said. He had shifted to where he was almost whispering at her. The second toothpick was hanging there, driving her crazy once again. He smiled at her, almost baiting her.

"Why is the toothpick driving you crazy, Sharon?" he said quietly, looking to her eyes.

"It just is," she said, now flustered. "Why is twirling my hair bothering you. It's just a thing I do."

"As is this," Andy gestured to the toothpick. He pulled it out and put it on the table. "The hair is distracting because it's sweet to see you all flustered," he said sweetly and stood and quickly slid into his side of the booth. Sharon let out her breath; she didn't know she'd been holding it and threw a smirk toward Andy. "Plus," he added with a grin, "I like your hair. When you play with it, I can't take my eyes off it."

"Well, that's not the case with the toothpick," she spat out, now visibly flustered. "Where's our food?" she said, now nervous and looking around.

Andy reached over and stilled her hands. They were now tapping on the table. She looked to him, now somewhat irritated he'd gotten her all flustered again. "The fireworks tomorrow," he started, "yeah, I'm not leaving your condo until we watch those and talk about whatever has had you distracted so much lately. I think it's time," he nodded to her. "Put everything on the table."

"Oh, like the toothpicks out on the table," she gestured to them now sitting on the table. She needed a distraction, a clear way out of THAT conversation. She saw him start to open his mouth, but their food was delivered. Andy left the conversation as it was, and both started to eat.

Andy's phone rang when they were both about done eating. He groaned, but stood. "Provenza," he told Sharon. "Let me step outside. It's a bit loud in here. I'll be right back." Sharon nodded to him, and she watched as he walked out the door. She looked back to the table, noting the toothpicks were staring back at her. What was it about those toothpicks? Sharon got into a staring contest with the toothpicks, focused on them. Her mind started to wander. She almost couldn't take it, watching Andy with the toothpicks, and finally, after several minutes, she figured out why. Andy's lips liked those toothpicks, and she was having trouble focusing because she wondered what his lips were like. He'd kissed her on the cheek and on the head many times, but as her feelings for him were changing, she was envisioning what it would be like to feel those lips on hers. Stupid toothpicks. They got her every single time. She'd have to go home now and throw out every single toothpick she had in the house.

"Ready to go?" he reappeared, taking Sharon by surprise and causing her to jump. He chuckled when he put his hand on her shoulder in reassurance. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you at all." He squeezed her shoulder. "Are you all set?"

"Yes," she nodded as she grabbed her purse and stood. She pushed her hair out of her face and flipped it over her shoulder. She saw Andy wince, but didn't know why. "I didn't get the check yet," she told him.

"Already paid," he waved to her. "I walked into the bakery while I was on the phone with Provenza and picked up the cake. Would you believe he called me wanting me to bring him some doughnuts?" Andy chuckled. "So, I was that guy, the stereotypical cop, going into the bakery for doughnuts," he rolled his eyes. "Should have told him they were out of doughnuts."

"You already got the cake, and you already paid?" Sharon asked, trying to snap out of her fog. "Where was I, and how did I let you pay again?"

Andy's eyes drifted back to the table, "You were there in what looked like a staring contest with those dreaded toothpicks," he winked. "Come on; I'll even drive back to work." Sharon scoffed, but she didn't seem to argue. When they got to the car, she didn't even protest about going to the passenger side door.

"Wait," she shook her head. "When did you get my car keys? The cake is in the car?"

"Sharon, you handed them to me when we walked into the restaurant," he chuckled. "Don't you remember?"

"No," she sighed. "I seem to be in a daze."

He shrugged and winked as they got into the car, "It's the uniform. Dashing, some might say."


	11. Chapter 11

The ride back to the office had been a short one, quite as well. Andy hadn't said anything, but instead, he'd reached over and clasped Sharon's hand in his when he noticed her fidgeting again. She hadn't pulled away, not until they pulled back into her parking spot, and both had to get out of the car.

"Provenza was going to send Buzz home after lunch so he could get ready for his shift. I asked him to do it as a distraction from the rest of us so that maybe we can surprise Buzz," Sharon admitted as they walked to the elevator.

"Great. Where would you like to put the cake?" he asked now as he held it.

"Let's put it back in Rusty's old study area. I don't want to keep it in the break area or Taylor's office. Taylor would eat it. We can get a cart and put the cake on that," she explained, and the two got onto the elevator.

"Thanks for going to lunch with me, even if you did snatch my toothpicks," he leaned over, grinning at her.

"Hmm, I don't like things to distract me, Andy," she said, unaware she was twirling her hair again. Andy shook his head and looked away.

"Well, if I don't get to tell you later, have a nice evening tonight, Sharon. Get some rest and take a long hot bath. Pour yourself your favorite wine and relax. I know that's something you enjoy," he told her as they arrived at their floor.

"I'm out of wine," she sighed. "Depending on when we get out of here, I may or may not stop for wine."

The two started to the back entrance of the office to make sure and not run into Buzz should he still be on the floor. Sharon opened the door for Andy because he was carrying the cake. As he started to pass her, he leaned down, next to her ear and whispered, "A little birdie told me you should check your bottom desk drawer. A new bottle of wine may have appeared."

Sharon's eyes grew large, "You bought wine? Andy, I'd never ask you to do that."

"Wine was never my thing," he shrugged. "I would have told you if it was. Besides, I didn't admit to anything. I just might have seen a little birdie sneak into your office early this morning on the floor's cameras. I would advise you not to drink it here at work," he winked to her and walked by her with the cake. She caught up to him and put her arm on his to stop him. She needed to stop him here before they rounded the corner to the rest of the team.

"Andy, I don't know what to say. Please convey my thanks should you see this little birdie again," she smirked to him. "I'll be impressed if this mystery bird knew my favorite wine."

"Oh, he knew it, guaranteed. Wow, this works out so nicely for you. We can't go out this evening, so you have to spend the evening at home, and look at that, your favorite wine appears when you can't go out with your favorite lieutenant for the evening."

"I wasn't going out with Provenza," she teased. Andy closed his eyes and nodded.

"The visual image I have," he continued to laugh.

Sharon leaned up to whisper to him, "Thank you, Andy. You are always very thoughtful."

"Admitting to nothing," he raised his hands. "Let's get this cake ready for the party."

The party for Buzz went well, and they achieved their overall goal; they surprised Buzz. The additional surprised had been Provenza showing up in his uniform, ready for the evening as well. Sharon had stayed out to talk to everyone, mostly Andy if she had to be truthful, but after she found herself gravitating to his tie on more than one, two, well, four occasions, she decided to get back to work at her own desk. She left her door open to convey she wasn't shutting them out, just getting back to work.

Andy poked his head in a few minutes later, "Hey," he smiled to her. "We're going to leave in a couple of minutes," he said. Andy closed the door and walked over to put his hands on the front of Sharon's desk where he leaned down to her eye level.

She looked up, "You were right about the wine in my drawer. Glad it wasn't a suspicious package or something."

"Oh, I verified that," he played along smiling. Sharon stood up to walk around her desk toward him.

"Be careful tonight, and as I already told you, don't tease Buzz," she said again as she used her hand to smooth out his shirt. She wanted to smack her own hand away when she realized she was once again playing with his tie. Andy hadn't commented on it yet; he didn't seem to notice or mind.

"Provenza is going along," Andy rolled his eyes. "You don't have to worry about me teasing Buzz. He'll cover that for the whole team."

Andy followed Sharon to her door where she opened it and walked out with Andy. The two walked slowly toward the elevator, where Andy had told the men he'd meet them.

Sharon crossed her arms as they walked, knowing if she didn't, she would fidget with her hands or worse, go to his tie again. She didn't need Andy trying to still her hands, not as they were walking down the hall.

"I'll call you in the morning when my shift ends," Andy told her as they rounded the corner toward the elevator. "I know you'll want to know how everything went. How about I pick you up for the game at 4:00?"

"Does that give you enough time to rest?" she asked, stopping to finish the conversation before they got to Buzz and Provenza. He stopped too, nodding.

"I'll be fine, promise," he smiled.

"Idiot One, time to go!" they both heard from Provenza who had now stepped in the hallway and could see them talking. Sharon met Andy's eyes, and both smiled. Andy rolled his eyes and nodded to her.

"Bye," he told her and started toward Provenza who was shaking his head at them. Sharon followed.

"Buzz, big night," she smiled as she patted his arm. "Enjoy it, and do not let these two drag you into anything."

"Hey! I resent that," Andy turned to her. "We wouldn't drag Buzz into anything."

"Andy, remember I will be called if you three get into anything," she pointed to them.

"We'll be fine, Captain," Provenza waved to her. "Best behavior. I'll make sure Idiot One here doesn't' do something to involve your FID friends."

"Yes," Sharon nodded, "that's what has me worried, the three of you out together all promising to watch out for each other. Have a nice evening, gentlemen," she told them and waved as they disappeared on the elevator.

Sharon found herself ready to relax a few hours later. She'd just arrived home, armed with the gift bag of wine from Andy, and now in desperate need of a long, hot bath. Her phone stopped her movements.

"Shouldn't you be keeping the streets of LA safe right now?" she teased. "I haven't had time to even open the wine yet."

"Ahh, Sharon, I wanted to call you before Buzz's watch commander does," Andy sighed into the phone. "You're going to want to come down here."

"Oh no," she sighed. "What happened?"

"Dead body, and as much as I want to pretend this isn't going to turn into a case for us, I'm going to go ahead and predict we now have a case, which will mean we won't get to go to the game," he groaned.

"Andy, stop for a second," she tried to calm him. "Go ahead and explain. I'll get my things and start toward the car."

Andy met her in the hotel hallway a half hour later, a fresh toothpick in his mouth. Sharon hadn't noticed until she got closer to him, and then she scowled at him.

"What do we have, Lieutenant?" she asked in her most professional tone. There were a number of patrol officers lingering. As much as she wanted to grab at the tie again, she stuffed her hands into her pockets and tried to focus on listening to Andy. She found she couldn't look at him; the toothpick was dangling, and she almost couldn't take it.

"Evening, Captain," he nodded to her, a smug grin on his face. "If you follow me, I'll show you." Andy started to lead Sharon toward the room, but before they got to the team, he turned again. "I could really use your hair twirl thing right now," he told her, "because I need a good distraction, just as I imagined you might need too. I'm ready to kill Buzz for this. So, feel free to throw anything my way," he nodded to her. Sharon scoffed at him and plucked the toothpick from his mouth again as she walked by him into the room.

It didn't take long for Sharon to agree that yes, this appeared to be murder. After pulling Buzz aside and complementing his good work, she gave out some instructions to her team. She stayed with them as they collected what they needed, and then as they were all ready to head to the office, she told them, "We could still make our game tomorrow. Let's work this and hopefully, we can solve this one by the morning. I'll see everyone back at the office."

Andy caught up to her in the hall, and she turned her head to him, "Yes, Lieutenant?" she said in her sweet voice.

"Hoping to catch a ride, Captain," he nodded to her. His phone went off, and he dug it out to check his text message. He started to chuckle as he followed Sharon onto the elevator. It closed, and Sharon tried to glance at his message from her spot. She pulled on his arm, trying to get a better look.

"Care to tell me what is so funny from your message there?" she asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he grinned, pulling the phone higher, out of her reach.

She rolled her eyes and stepped back. She started to mess with her hair again, unaware she was doing so.

Andy pulled a fresh toothpick out of his pocket and stuck it in his mouth, giving a small nod to Sharon. She caught herself twirling her hair and scoffed at the action. She tried to pull her hand from her hair, but it had gotten caught. Andy started to laugh as she worked harder to free her hand.

"Serves you right," he chuckled.

She glared at him and yanked the toothpick out. With nowhere to put it, she stuffed it into her purse and sighed. Andy's phone went off again, and he grinned.

"Do you have a date or something?" she gestured to the phone. "You seem awfully happy to be talking to someone."

"It's Nicole,' he held up the phone. "I was just messing with her. She didn't know where I was tonight, and she asked if I was busy. I told her I was at a hotel, in a hotel room, with you," he started to laugh even more.

"Andy!" Sharon's face turned white and then she felt it becoming more and more flushed. "Give me that," she jumped, trying to reach for his phone. He grinned at her. "Fine, I'll text her myself," Sharon said now irritated as she dug around for her own phone.

"Sharon," Andy stilled her hand in her purse and turned her toward him, "I took care of it," he continued to chuckle. "I sent that first text, and I could see she was replying immediately. I followed up before she sent me anything and told her I was at a hotel with you-working a case," he grinned.

Sharon stomped her foot, which caused Andy to laugh even more. When the elevator arrived in the lobby, she started toward her car. Andy had to jog to catch up. "Can I still get a ride?"

"Can you?" Sharon teased him for his grammar usage.

Andy rolled his eyes, "Captain, MAY I please get a ride back to work. Might I add you look very pretty this evening. Plus, added bonus, I'm still wearing this uniform I know you can't keep your hands off of tonight," he grinned at her.

"Yes, you may get a ride. Flattery will get you nowhere, and I've simply tried to keep your tie straight," she told him as she got to the car. She unlocked it, and Andy hopped in the passenger seat while Sharon took her time. She smoothed her hair and took a deep breath before getting into her seat. She caught Andy's gaze as he flashed a playful smile and winked at her. His phone went off again, so he turned to it.

Andy sent another text, which allowed Sharon a moment to try and compose herself.

"Sorry, I was just letting Nicole know that we are hoping to close up this case quickly. I told her I'd keep her posted," he explained. "I'm really sorry we had to drag you out this evening."

"Andy, it's fine," Sharon sighed. She didn't realize she was fidgeting with her one hand until Andy took it in his hand again. As she pulled up to a stoplight, she turned and offered him a small smile. He tugged on her hand, smiling, and he winked at her. "I hate the circumstances, but glad I get to see you this evening. Here, I thought I'd spend all night with just Provenza and Buzz."

"Misery loves company," Sharon mumbled to him as she shook her head.

"Gee, thanks," he chuckled. "Maybe I should have caught a ride back with Provenza and Buzz."

"Andy, I'm sorry," Sharon tugged on his hand. She realized they were still holding hands and wondered how long they'd been doing that. "I'm just frazzled."

"I've noticed. Already told you we are talking about this during the fireworks tomorrow," he explained.

"Hmm, this case," she sighed.

"Let me be clear, Sharon," he turned slightly, "I'm coming over to hang out with you when this case is over, period. If that is tomorrow, the next day, whatever. Now, you could just tell me now if you like," he offered.

"It will keep," she told him. "We can talk later."

"Okay," Andy nodded and dropped the topic. "So, can I interest you in a good laugh?"

She smiled, "I'm listening."

"Let's start with this-Provenza, cars, new police technology, and references to driving the Batmobile," he flashed a smile. Sharon started to laugh.

"I sense a good story," she grinned.


	12. Chapter 12

It had been a chaotic night. The team had all returned to the office and started to work on the case. They really needed to get the phone records, and while they waited on that, they started to check on potential suspects, still hoping it was an accident.

Sharon had gone home to change and check on Rusty; in fact, she'd had everyone change and get ready for what could be a long day. While she was okay with not having a detail follow him, she still wanted eyes on him that morning. Plus, she'd arrived on scene in yesterday's clothing, and she was desperate for a change and a shower. While they waited on Morales to get things ready in the morgue, she went home to do several things. She worked on the cell phone records, something she told the team she could do from home. She spoke to Rusty, surprised he wanted to talk to her about his Alice story, but happy to provide him with some guidance. She'd have to politely ask Andy to follow up with Rusty later so she wasn't prying. Rusty enjoyed going over the case with Andy. As she started to work the case, she ended up sending most of the team back to the hotel. As the case progressed, it seemed that one of the wedding guests may have killed Danny, and with that theory, they wanted to keep all the guests close at hand. By mid-morning, it was becoming more and more evident it wasn't an accident.

Andy had called her again from the hotel to tell her they were searching for prescription drugs, and then a few minutes later, he called back to say they were bringing Danny, the groom downtown to talk.

"Sharon," he greeted her when she answered. He was in the hallway of the hotel and said,"We're going to bring the groom downtown. Guy has been covering up a black eye with make-up. Something isn't adding up here," he sighed. "I'll tell you what-this family is a mess," he chuckled as he stepped away from everyone to talk to her.

"I'm beginning to see that," she sighed too. "We're working on several things here as well. I sent the rest of the team out to do a search for Lisa, the bride, specifically Mike and Julio."

"Yeah, Provenza told me. We've been questioning the family here. Crazy, I tell you. So, bride is AWOL, and the groom has a black eye. Wow, what a wedding party," he chuckled. "I thought Nicole's wedding was stressful."

"Hmm, yes, indeed a mess. Nicole's wedding was stressful because you were dealing with Sandra. Thankfully, it had nothing to do with a jaded bride and a mess of a wedding party. Hmm," she sighed again, "that was still one of the nicest weddings I've ever attended."

"Really," he perked up, "most expensive one I've attended." He groaned as he thought about that, but then he quickly added, "Definitely my favorite wedding though, once a lovely lady convinced me to go and even came along with me."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a hardship for me to attend," she smiled into the phone. "I needed to make sure you didn't end up in your own wedding mess. Punching Nicole's step-father would not have been your finest moment. Someone had to make sure you kept your hands to yourself," she chuckled.

"If I recall, you were the one with the roaming hands. What is it with you and ties?" he teased her. "You couldn't keep your hands off my bow tie that night."

"As you know, I like weddings, and I like ties," she teased back.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"I like attending weddings with you and seeing you in a tie, Andy," she admitted. "Now, Lieutenant," she switched back to professional mode once she realized she was getting a little flushed discussing personal matters with Andy, "is there anything else?"

"Not at the moment, Sharon," he told her. "We should be back downtown soon. It's almost mid-day. Are you contacting Nicole or am I?" he sighed.

"I'll update her with a text," she told him. "There's still hope, and there's still time. See you soon."

The next few hours pass quickly as they unravel the case. Before long, Stu confessed to the killing, and Andrea worked out the details of the agreement. Sharon retreated to her office while she had Povenza explain to everyone the arrangements for the evening; they would be escorting the family to the wedding, where they planned to let Stu have his first dance with his daughter. Then, patrol officers would escort him downtown to booking. While Provenza was dealing with the team, Sharon was signing off on a few things before closing up for the day.

"Well, Sharon, I guess you are on your way to a wedding," Andrea says as she walks into Sharon's office. She looks behind her, back into the main office area and shuts the door. Sharon looks up from her desk where she was closing out her computer.

"Oh, this is the last thing I want to do. The team is so irritated about missing the Dodger game," she sighed. "I'm sure you heard about it. Andy's daughter, Nicole, secured the entire team fantastic seats for the game, and now, we've lost them."

"Ahh, so is that why your dashing lieutenant out there looks like he wants to commit murder himself?" she teased.

Sharon rolled her eyes as she shook her head, "To Andy, this is like taking away Christmas. He's been so excited, and now, he's devastated."

"I guess that's better than what I was thinking. I was afraid you'd finally talked to the guy, and something hadn't worked out between the two of you," Andrea admitted.

Sharon looked up and met Andrea's stare, "No, we're fine," she sighed, "I guess. He's missed every single flirting attempt I've made. I'm at my wit's end, Andrea. I don't know what else to do. We were going to try and talk after the game, about what, I'm not exactly sure. I mean, he asked if I was ready to talk because he's said he's noticed that I've been fidgety. I told him I had a lot on my mind, and he suggested we talk tonight."

"Then talk, Sharon," Andrea said firmly. "Talk to the man; he's crazy about you."

"I'm not so sure, anymore," Sharon sighed. "I know we are friends, but Andrea, he's ignored all my flirting attempts. I told you I'm not good at this."

Andrea pointed her finger at Sharon, "Listen, that man hasn't taken his eyes off you today, and at least my original idea was wrong. He doesn't want to kill you; he's completely head over heels for you. Have you not noticed him watching you today? Who am I kidding? He hasn't taken his eyes off you in a couple of years. Sharon, I have no doubt he feels the same as you."

"I just don't know," she sighed.

"Captain," Provenza knocked as he opened the door, "we are all ready to go. We've got everyone partnered up for this," he gestured, "wedding fiasco. I've got Buzz set to record everything, and the rest of the team, I've paired up. Sykes is with Julio. I'm with Mike, and I'm not asking, but telling you that you're stuck with Flynn. I don't need to be at any wedding with Flynn as my partner," he grimaced.

Andrea started to laugh and met Sharon's gaze. She gave her a hopeful smile, and Sharon just nodded to Provenza, trying to keep from laughing herself. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll check with Andy then about where you've posted everyone. I'll be right out," she nodded to him. He returned the nod and ducked out of her door.

"See, even Lieutenant Grumpy there has a soft spot for you two," Andrea encouraged Sharon. "I know you didn't see your 4th of July shaping up like this, attending a wedding as part of a case, but enjoy the few minutes you are there. Maybe see if you could get that dashing lieutenant to dance," she winked.

Sharon shook her head, "No, we aren't going to be dancing. For one, we do want to see the game. The father is being hauled off as soon as he dances with the daughter, as you arranged. Once we get that finalized, I'm having the team come to the condo for the game. You are invited as well," she gestured to Andrea.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm going to try and get this case wrapped up tonight. I'm going to head back to my office while you attend the wedding. Call me if anything happens. I should have all of his paperwork done by the time he's done with his dance." Andrea stood and smiled to Sharon. She looked out toward Andy's desk. "You do have quite the view," she nudged her head to get Sharon to follow. Sharon followed Andrea's gaze and then looked away quickly. "There it is," she nodded to Sharon. "There's the look. Sharon, talk to him. I'll talk to you later," she told her as she collected her briefcase.

She walked toward the door, "Andrea, you can use my other office door," Sharon gestured toward the other door, the door not by Andy's desk.

"Oh, I'm aware," she winked to Sharon. "This door seems to lead to more possibilities, especially for you. Have a good night and try to sneak in a dance before you leave that wedding."


	13. Chapter 13

They were the last two on the elevator. The rest of the team had already caught an elevator, all promising to meet up at the church. Sharon and Andy weren't far behind, just a minute or two while Sharon took a quick call. As she glanced to Andy now as they waited at the elevator, she shook her head with no doubt in her mind as to why the team had gone on without them. They knew Andy was ready to go to war with anyone who dared to utter a word. Sharon could tell Andy was ready to scream. His dream day had been ruined by a case, a case they had caught when they were supposed to have a holiday off for once.

"Come on," she tugged as his elbow when the doors of the elevator opened. He sighed as he followed her lead. Once inside the elevator, Sharon looped her arm through his and looked up at him. He was still mad. "I'm sorry about the game," she said quietly as the elevator made its way to the garage. "Andy, I really wish I could change everything and make the day go as you'd planned."

"I know," he grumbled, trying to keep a soft tone and not convey any of his anger toward Sharon. "

"One thing I can promise," she offered a small smile to him, "I will watch the game with you, just from the comfort of the condo. I hope the rest of the team will come. I called Rusty awhile ago, and he's going to order the pizzas when we leave the wedding. Buzz stopped me earlier and told me he would buy all the beer for the team," she smiled. "He feels badly about doing his job and wants to try and make it up to all of you."

"I don't even drink beer!" Andy exclaimed, quickly looking to her with an apologetic face. He didn't mean to yell at her. Sharon put her finger up to his mouth to silence him, and when she did that, he instantly looked to her.

"I wasn't finished," she told him and continued. "He then proceeded to ask me what he could get you to drink. He knows, obviously, you don't drink beer. He offered to get you whatever you like. For your benefit, I gave him very specific instructions on the brand of cranberry juice you like."

"You already have the cranberry juice I like," he grumbled again.

"I know," Sharon nodded, "but, it's the thought that counts. He even offered to get your coffee or tea. He specifically told me he'd noticed you had started drinking tea," Sharon chuckled. "I told him I had that covered for later in the evening."

Andy nodded and sighed again. The elevator door opened to the garage, and Sharon pulled her hand from where she'd looped it through Andy's. "Come on," she tugged at his elbow again. "I'm driving this time."

"You don't have to drive," he grumbled again.

"I know I don't," she turned to him and shrugged. "I want to. You've had a bad day, and I want to do something nice. So, get in, sit back, and relax."

Andy climbed into the car, and he watched Sharon get situated. "Hey," he called out to her. She turned and offered a sad smile. "Thanks," he nodded. "I promise I'll be in a better mood. I'm almost done sulking."

"Good," she reached over and squeezed his hand. He returned it, and she then took her hand to help her drive. "We can't have you sulking all day. We're going to watch the Dodgers on the 4th of July," she added. "Granted, it's not the way we planned, but look on the bright side that some very deserving children will enjoy our seats."

"You are pretty good at cheering me up," he told her as he glanced her way.

She shrugged, her eyes on the road, "I happen to know you have a soft spot for children.

"I do," he agreed. "Children, nice legs, bossy women," random array of my soft spots," he threw a smile her way. She refused to glance toward him because she knew her face was turning red.

"What am I going to do with you, Andy?" she sighed as they approached the next light.

He shrugged, "How about ditching this wedding and high-tailing it to the game? That would be a start. I can think of many things after that, but we could start there because my fantastic 4th of July plans started with us at the game. I don't even need Provenza or the rest of team. I'd be more than happy to just go to the game with you."

Sharon hummed, "Well, since that's not happening, I can offer vegetarian pizza. I threatened Rusty with the loss of burgers for the foreseeable future if he didn't order at least two vegetarian pizzas tonight. I can promise that. He knows you are upset about the game too."

"Thanks," he nodded. "Will you at least still watch the fireworks with me?"

"Of course," Sharon turned and smiled brightly at him. "That is not changing. We may have to deal with a drunk Provenza, but we'll watch the fireworks."

"Drunk Provenza riding around in the Batmobile,' Andy chuckled. Sharon laughed too. As they pulled up to the church, she got a call from Andrea. "I'll check in with Provenza while you take your call," he told her has he leaned in from behind to whisper in her ear. She nodded, the phone on her other ear.

"Idiot One is here, but where's Idiot Two?" Provenza asked as Andy walked up. The team was milling around, and from the looks of the church, it appeared the service was about to start.

"Sharon," Andy said smugly, "is taking a call from Hobbs. She might be a few minutes. Where do you want me now? She can't exactly sit in the pew and talk to Hobbs."

"Fine," Provenza waved at him, "Mike and I will sit inside. It's not like I haven't been to my share of weddings. You two stay out here on the steps. That might be better anyway. I don't need you getting any ideas sitting inside a church at a wedding with her," he rolled his eyes and gagged in disgust. Mike, standing next to him, started to laugh. "Just tell the captain we switched spots so she can be on the phone if needed. We told the family to hurry this thing up or we're hauling off dear dad anyway."

Andy nodded, "Will do. Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, we'll cover the front steps." Provenza and Mike started toward the church. Sharon was still on the phone, so Andy leaned up against Provenza's car to wait for her.

"Sorry," she said when she walked up a few minutes later. "Andrea had a few questions from the case. Where do we need to go?"

"Ahh, we were going to be inside in the pews, but since you were on the phone, Provenza and Mike took that spot. We're now covering the front steps, so no wedding for us."

"Oh, ahh," Sharon got flushed again just at the way Andy said that. "Right, no wedding for us," she chuckled slightly, a nervous chuckle. "Let's go to the front of the church." The walked to the front, and Andy cracked open the door to check on the progress. He shut it and walked back down the stairs and sat down. "He's walking her down the aisle. It's on. I guess we could sit for at least a few minutes."

Sharon nodded and sat next to him. She was fidgety again and put her hands in her lap. She looked to Andy, "Sometimes I can barely remember getting married myself. What about you?"

He let out a low chuckle, "Yeah, seems like a lifetime ago. I was so young, Sandra too. I remember barely caring about the wedding. I just wanted to get out of there with her."

Sharon smiled and nodded, "Thinking back, I almost can't believe I liked, loved," she corrected herself, "Jack back then. So much damage has been done."

"Ever think you will get married again?" Andy asked.

Sharon pursed her lips, "I haven't thought about it. I'm not sure. To Jack-definitely not," she winked at Andy as she chuckled.

He nodded, "Good. I'd never let you marry Jack again anyway. I think I'd arrest you for anything, some new charge like public stupidity."

The two chuckled at that, and Andy got serious again, "I'd get married again if I was happy and knew it was what we both wanted."

"Oh, so you have a 'we' do you?" Sharon teased, trying to make light of the heavy nature of the conversation.

"Well, to get married, there would have to be a 'we' if memory serves," he smiled to her. She just hummed. "And, to get to that point, I certainly would plan to narrow down my potential 'we' candidates he added. "But, that's all just hypothetical," he shrugged. "I'm just a washed up drunk, so I don't have to worry about any of that happening."

"Andy," Sharon sighed as she took a deep breath, "you are not a washed up drunk." She took his hand in hers, the two sitting side by side on the church steps. She used her shoulder to bump his. "If you can call yourself that, then I can say I'm a pathetic, old divorcee who allowed her husband to cheat and steal from her for decades."

"Sharon, that's not you at all," he sighed.

"Right back at you," she nudged his shoulder again. She stood before things got even more tense. "I'll check on the wedding."

Sharon opened the doors and noted the organ was starting to play again. She watched for a few moments and then nodded to Andy. "They're done. Let's move so we can keep an eye on the father as he exits."

The wedding party made its way out of the church. Sharon and Andy stood to the side and then moved further away as the rest of the team filed out. Amy and Julio were glued to the father, so there was no need to add additional team members. Once everyone had made their way outside, they all moved toward the vehicles to head to the reception. Sharon and Andy waited until the rest of the team had secured everything and then made the short drive to the reception venue.

As they were driving, Sharon turned the baseball game on the radio. "Ugh," Andy groaned when he heard the announcers talking about the game. It was due to start in a half hour. She patted his arm in sympathy. Once they arrived at the reception, Sharon and Andy found Provenza to discuss the plans.

"Ahh, Captain," he nodded. "I've talked to the rest of the team. Buzz is inside all ready with his camera. Julio and Sykes are sticking with our suspect. The two of them have offered to escort him from the building when he does this dance with his daughter. We spoke to the family, and the dance is being moved up. They've planned a sit-down dinner, but in light of everything, they are going to offer the dance before the dinner. We gave them that option or offered to explain the situation to all the wedding guests ourselves. Ironically, the agreed to move up the dance."

"Very good, Lieutenant," Sharon said as she looked to her watch. "Well, with that, what, maybe an hour from now we should be out of here?"

"That's what we are hoping, Captain," he nodded.

"Make sure everyone knows to come to my condo after this is all finished," she told Provenza. "I've instructed Rusty to order pizzas, and Buzz is picking up the drinks."

"Meat lovers?" he snapped his head up and asked.

Andy sighed loudly, "Oh, come on, Provenza!"

"Flynn, might you give me directions to the captain's condo after we leave here? Seems as if you might know the way," he hissed. "Besides, don't get on me about the pizza. You always complain when there isn't vegetarian."

"Because if you order the pizza, you don't order vegetarian! I happen to eat it. Sharon eats it too," he gestured to her.

Provenza narrowed his eyes, "Yes, what a coincidence, and you know how I feel about those."

"Lieutenant, Rusty is ordering the pizza, so I can guarantee there will be something there you will enjoy," Sharon told him.

"Good," he nodded. "I'm going to take up my place inside. I heard they were serving appetizers at least, and if we're over an hour from pizza, I need something to keep me going. Hazards of the job," he nodded and disappeared into the building.

"Shall we," Andy asked. Sharon looked to him and looped her arm through his.

She shrugged, "We need to look like we fit in," she nodded to her arm looped through his. Andy nodded and without a word, escorted Sharon inside. The venue was small once they were inside, and it was very easy to spot the rest of the team. Sharon and Andy took up their spot. She'd let Provenza run point on assigning locations, and he'd put the two of them at the back of the room again. Provenza and Mike were near the bar area, making sure their suspect didn't get anything to drink, and Julio and Amy were not far from the family.

Andy leaned over and whispered to Sharon, "I bet you had a gorgeous dress when you got married."

Sharon's cheeks flushed again, and she turned to Andy and smiled. "My dress was one of those big, gaudy things," she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Never again. I can't believe that was in style, and I liked it."

He quietly laughed, and she raised her eyes at him. "What about you?" she asked.

"Similar," he shrugged. "I had a pink tie and gray suit."

"Hmmm, now that is still in style, and both colors look good on you," she admitted.

"Ahh," he smiled to her, "so, you are saying that look would look good on me now?"

She offered a playful shrug, "Well, maybe," she looked away, "but, why would I be offering you advice on what would look good at a wedding?"

Andy returned her shrug, "Just a hypothetical," he played along. Sharon looked at him as if she was studying him and pursed her lips.

"While you do look good in pink, I'd put you in a purple tie with a dark suit for a modern look," she told him.

"I see," he nodded and looked around the room. "Like you, I do like purple," he smiled to her. He leaned in again, to whisper in her ear, "It's a good thing you aren't in something like what you wore to Nicole's wedding."

"Why?" Sharon's surprise registered as she turned and looked to Andy.

"Because," he said as he leaned in and whispered to her again, "you already look nicer than anyone here, the bride included, and if you had worn the dress you wore to Nicole's wedding a couple of years ago, you would probably be asked to leave. You would definitely be the prettiest and best dressed here."

"Andy," Sharon shook her head as she looked away. "You're taking this game of ours too far."

"What game?" Andy shrugged as he looked around. He could tell Sharon was getting flustered.

"Oh, the band is getting ready to play. We should be about done here," Sharon said, breaking their tension. They spent the next few minutes watching the father-daughter dance. Andy moved a bit closer to Sharon and squeezed her hand.

"Hard to believe my own baby girl is grown up and married herself," Andy leaned in and whispered to Sharon.

She hummed as she nodded, "I sometimes dread the day Emily gets married," she admitted. "I don't want to think about Jack-whether he's involved or not; I'm not sure which is worse."

"Do you think he'd show for Emily?" Andy asked.

Sharon shook her head, "I used to think he would, but after he missed her high school graduation, college graduation, and more performances than I could count, no, I don't think he will show. I dread, though, that he'd show up late, drunk of course."

"Well, consider me at your disposal whenever that day comes," Andy nodded to her. "I'll play whatever role you need-bouncer, friend, date," he stopped himself. "Wait," he turned and caught her eye, his eyes sparkling, "strike that. It wouldn't be a date. I'd just be your friend, Andy," he smiled, "just as you were my friend, Sharon, for Nicole's wedding."

"I see," Sharon nodded. "I'll file that away for later. I'll try to remember that you've offered your services. So, someday when Emily gets married, you'd like to be my personal bouncer and friend on my arm," she teased.

"Escort if you prefer," he nodded.

"Escort, there's that term again," she shook her head. "First, you call me an escort earlier, and now, you're referring to yourself as one. Lieutenant, it sounds like you've been hitting the streets of LA," she chuckled.

"Hey, if Jack shows, you can call me whatever you want. I'm always happy to tick off that guy," he chuckled. Sharon patted his arm as the band finished playing.

"Looks like we are going to close up this case without any issues," she nodded to him.

"Looks that way," he clasped her hand and tugged it along with his as they walked toward the exit. They caught the eyes of the team heading the same way. As the two got closer to the rest of the group, Andy dropped their hands.

"Captain, Julio and Amy are going to sign the paperwork over to patrol," Provenza nodded. He rubbed his hands together, "Let's call this case closed and get out of here."

"That will be fine, Lieutenant," Sharon nodded. "We can do all of this paperwork on Monday morning. Please feel free to head to my condo. Rusty is home, and I'm going to text him right now to order the pizzas. I can't offer game seats, but I can offer seats to watch the game. Please, head upstairs when you get there and make yourselves at home if you get there before I do."

The team nodded and all parted ways to head to their vehicles. Sharon and Andy walked quietly across the parking lot. "We've got one stop to make," Sharon told Andy as they arrived at her car.

"What's that?" he looked up, surprised.

"Nicole felt so badly we had to miss the game. I spoke to her earlier, and I made a suggestion that would cheer you up. She ran out to that bakery near her house. It was open until late this afternoon, even on the holiday," she smiled. "I know it's not my homemade cheesecake, but I know you love that bakery's cheesecake too. I had Nicole get it for the party, and she left it at her house. Lucky for you, Lieutenant, your daughter lives near me. We just need to pick up the cheesecake, and I won't remind you where your daughter and her family are tonight."

"Enjoying my game," he sighed, as he sunk into the car. Sharon got in and gave a hopeful smile toward Andy. He couldn't resist her smile and returned the smile, "Thank you," he reached over and squeezed her hand. "You've made everything about this crappy day better. The cheesecake is not the only thing that is cheering me up. You really do get me," he added.

"Agreed," Sharon nodded to him as she smiled. "You really get me. Let's try to enjoy the rest of evening."


	14. Chapter 14

He lifted the box's lid and looked inside, groaning quietly at the sight. He looked over to Sharon, "Thank you for this. I haven't had a cheesecake from that bakery in a long time, maybe Christmas. I'm impressed you remembered."

She looked to him as they pulled up to the stoplight near her condo, "You're welcome. Of course, I remembered your love for that cheesecake. Nicole was more than happy to help as well. She felt terrible about the game."

"Well, I told you I would get over my mood. I'm about there. Let's head upstairs to join the party. I'm sure most people are here by now," he said. She nodded as she pulled into her parking garage and found her spot.

The two got out of the car, and Andy offered his hand to Sharon's as they met to walk to the elevator. They walked hand in hand, quietly to the elevators. Once inside, Andy gave Sharon an irritated look.

"What's wrong?" she asked, standing next to him, their fingers still intertwined.

"We just drove here in your car. My car is still at work. There's no way I want you to drive me home that late. I can catch a ride with the team, but that means I won't get to hang out with you here later to watch the fireworks," he complained.

Sharon pursed her lips, "Tell you what. You're welcome to catch a ride with the team; I won't stop you if you want to do that, but I'll also let you drive my car home later tonight. I can take Rusty's car to Mass in the morning, and then maybe we can figure out a way to get you back to your car sometime tomorrow."

Andy thought for a moment, "Is Rusty going to Mass with you?"

"Sometimes he does," she nodded. "It's not something we've discussed, particularly for tomorrow."

"If you could get Rusty to go with you, I'll pick you up after Mass," he told her. "We could go to lunch and then swing downtown to get my car," he offered.

"I might be able to make that deal," she flashed a smile. "Let me speak to him. If he doesn't want to go, we can come up with a different plan."

"Your church isn't that far away," he reminded her. "I could always meet you back here after if Rusty doesn't plan to go."

"That would work too," she agreed, the elevator stopping on her floor. "So, with all your planning, I take it you would rather take my car home tonight?"

"Ahh, yes, no question," he nodded. "I'd much rather hang out with you to watch fireworks. Thank you for the offer of your car."

"Anytime," she said. "Now," she nodded to the cheesecake, "if you want some of that before Provenza discovers it, you'd better eat it soon."

"There you are!" Rusty opened the door to find Sharon and Andy standing in the hallway, talking. "Pizza guy just called from downstairs and is on his way up. Everyone was ready to take bets if you were coming to your own party."

"We're here," Andy grumbled, nodding to Rusty.

"What's that?" Rusty pointed to the box.

"Cheesecake," Andy gave him a look. "Right now, the three of us," he gestured to Sharon, Rusty, and himself, "know about this. It's that good cheesecake from the bakery near Nicole's house."

He started to say more, but Rusty interrupted, "Oh, that one from Christmas? That was almost as good as Sharon's cheesecake."

"Exactly," Andy said, pointing to Rusty, "so, don't say anything about this, and I'm going to hide it in the vegetable drawer. If Provenza discovers this, he'll eat it all, which will mean that none of us will get any. You follow?"

Rusty nodded and then got a grin on his face, "Yeah, I follow. I won't say anything. Does it mean I need to eat it later?"

"That'd be my advice," Andy shrugged.

"I heard you've been in a bad mood all day," Rusty pointedly told him.

Andy rolled his eyes, "Even more reason to keep quiet about this," he gestured to the cheesecake. Sharon just groaned and pushed Andy inside.

"They will definitely figure out your dessert if you keep standing here in the hallway," she pushed him into the condo and followed. Rusty stayed at the door waiting for the pizza guy to come up the elevator.

"Hello everyone," Sharon smiled to the group. They already had the game on the television and had put drinks out on the table. It appeared they were comfortable.

"Captain, glad you could make it," Julio smirked. "Sir, you get lost coming here? Been awhile since you had to drive this way?"

"Such a comedian," Andy sighed and instantly moved toward the kitchen with his cheesecake. Because the team was already watching the game, they didn't see his bag of food. Sharon moved around, taking off her jacket. She checked on her guests to make sure they all had something to drink.

"Anyone need anything while I am up?" she asked.

"Captain, we have beer here. Oh, Lieutenant," Buzz called toward the kitchen, "I put some cranberry juice in the refrigerator next to the same bottle already open."

"Thank you, Buzz," Sharon nodded. Andy looked from the kitchen area and nodded to Buzz.

"Thanks, Buzz," he told him. "Sharon, can I get you something to drink?"

"You know your way around that kitchen pretty well, Sir," Julio chuckled. "Imagine our surprise when we put up your favorite cranberry juice to find more in the captain's refrigerator."

"Oh, stuff it," Andy said, walking out of the kitchen. He handed Sharon a glass of her favorite wine, the wine he'd sent her home with before the case. She nodded her thanks to him, realizing she hadn't even asked for it, and then she looked to the door.

"Rusty, I thought the pizza guy was coming up?" she asked.

Rusty poked his head in, "He's coming now. He said he had another delivery in the building too."

Andy nodded to Sharon and ran his arm over hers as he went to the door to help Rusty with the pizza. It took a few minutes, but soon, everyone had food in hand and was had time to refocus on the game. Rusty stayed nearby, at the dining room table, but he was busy working on something. Andy had checked on him, as had Sharon, but both could tell he was preoccupied.

The discussion was kept to a minimum during the game, and at one point, Sharon retreated to her room to find her Dodger hat. Andy had his with him, as he'd brought it to work. She returned from using her bathroom with the hat on, Provenza noticing it first.

"Are you telling me you two even have a matching Dodger hat? Flynn, what happened to your old one? You had to go out and get a new one to match the captain?" he complained.

Andy rolled his eyes, "For your information, someone stole my old hat."

"Someone stole an old Dodger hat?" Julio shook his head. "That's sort of sad."

"It was a known assailant," Andy turned his eyes toward the dining room table. Sharon covered her mouth to keep from laughing. She grabbed a beer off the table. Andy had noticed she was relaxing this evening, and he was glad about that.

"Ma'am?" Julio grinned to her. "Your son is now a known criminal?"

Sharon burst out laughing. Andy had settled down behind Sharon, who was sitting on the couch. He had been standing and was now kneeling behind her.

"Okay, it's not exactly as Andy described it," she said as she reached up behind her head to pat his hand. She knew he was there. "We took Rusty to his first Dodger game, what last season, I guess?" she asked, now looking up at him. He nodded. "Andy offered to buy him a hat, but he complained it made him look silly, especially a new hat. Anyway, there we were at the game, and Rusty had forgotten his sunglasses. Andy offered him his old hat to block out the sun, and Rusty said that it least it was broken in and didn't stick out like a brand-new fan in a new hat," she chuckled. "So, he kept it," she shrugged. "I can't remember the last time I had a Dodger hat. The next time we went to a game, Andy showed up with these new hats."

"Next time," Provenza rolled his eyes. "Games, hats, outings with Rusty," he shook his head.

"We're friends, Provenza," Andy barked, trying to shut him up.

"Lieutenant, let me know when you need a new friend," Amy turned and flashed a huge smile to Andy. "Coop doesn't even take me to Dodger games, and he's never bought me a Dodger hat."

Andy rolled his eyes again and stood up. He walked back over to check on Rusty; he'd been doing that, going from Sharon to Rusty all evening. Sharon had offered him a place to sit, but he knew if he sat, they would get too comfortable, not that it was a problem. They were used to sitting together on Sharon's couch, but that was also precisely the problem. They would get comfortable, like they were used to doing, and that would definitely look out of place with the team.

"Hey, Flynn, got any scissors over there? I have a loose thread here on my uniform," Provenza asked as he continued to polish up his uniform. Andy waved him off and went to the kitchen junk drawer for the scissors. "As I figured," Provenza nodded to the group and looked to Sharon. "Captain, here's a hypothetical-let's say I'm at Flynn's house and you stop by. Would you know where his scissors are?"

Sharon smiled sweetly at him, "Lieutenant, I'm not going to answer that."

"He's got some in the kitchen and a pair in his laundry room of all places, at least as far as I remember," Rusty perked up. He had been part of several conversations. "Sharon knows his house pretty well, Lieutenant."

"Shocking," Provenza rolled his eyes. Sharon shook her head, and Andy just waved him off ignoring the comment as he delivered the scissors to Provenza.

"If those don't suit your needs, she's got another pair in the desk drawer over there," Andy gestured to the desk. "You keep your scissors in your kitchen drawer too, if memory serves."

"Well, we aren't here debating our friendship," Provenza pointed out.

"I'm not here to debate anything, Old Man! I'm here to watch the game because our plans of going to the game were ruined!" Andy exclaimed.

"Gentlemen," Sharon said sternly, "can we not argue about scissors and just enjoy the game?"

The rest of the team chuckled, but all settled in for the game. As the game ended, the team all groaned. It had turned out to be a game 'not to miss' as the announcers kept saying. The team scurried around to head up to the roof to watch the fireworks.

Most of the team caught the first elevator, leaving Sharon, Andy, and Provenza for the second. Rusty was still lagging; they weren't waiting for him. The three stood in the hallway before Provenza spoke.

"Flynn, are you taking me home?" he asked. "I rode here with Buzz and Mike in that Batmobile thing."

"No, I'm not taking you home, Provenza," he told him. "My car isn't even here."

Provenza's eyes grew huge, and before he could speak, Sharon jumped in, "Lieutenant, before you suggest anything inappropriate, Andy is taking my car home tonight. We rode to the wedding together, and instead of driving back downtown tonight or asking one of you to go out of your way, he's just going to take my car, and we'll figure it out tomorrow."

Provenza sighed, shaking his head. "I just don't need to hear it," he groaned. "I just need a ride to Patrice's house. Captain, before I forget, she asked if you would be interested in getting together. The way she said it, I think she was suggesting all four of us," he gestured to Sharon and Andy and then made a face at his own suggestion.

"Wait, Patrice wants to hang out with Sharon?" Andy chuckled, shaking his head at Provenza. "Oh, I'm sure you are loving this, Provenza."

"Well, she wants to get to know the captain better. Patrice doesn't have a lot of friends her own age, women friends, and she's heard all about you, Captain, from work. She even said she wanted to get some tips from you," he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it's a snowball effect. I hang out with Flynn, which puts Patrice without anyone. She suggested hanging out with the captain, and anyway," he shrugged, "since the two of you are friends, as you say, she suggested the four of us go to dinner or well, anything."

Sharon glanced to Andy for confirmation, and he just gave a quick shrug, "That would be lovely, Lieutenant. I look forward to spending some time with Patrice, getting to know her better."

"I'll pass along the good news," he rolled his eyes. The elevator arrived, and the three stepped on quickly.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the fireworks!" Sharon exclaimed. Andy nodded to her, smiling, and Provenza just rolled his eyes again. They arrived at the rooftop and found the team in one corner. Others from the building were in different parts of the roof to watch the fireworks as well.

Provenza pushed ahead to get to the rest of the team. Andy lingered behind, walking slowly, with Sharon next to him doing the same.

"Can you believe that Provenza has actually found a woman his own age who seems to like him?" he chuckled.

Sharon laughed too, "It is comical, but I'm happy they found each other. Do you think he'll marry her, another Provenza wedding?"

Andy looked to Provenza before answering, "Yeah, he'll marry her. He'll at least ask," he pointed out. "I can't predict if she'll say yes, but he'll ask, so if she says yes, he'll get married again. Provenza likes to be married."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded as the two watched the fireworks. She leaned toward Andy, and he put his hand on her back. "It's almost hard to remember enjoying being married."

Andy nodded, "Yeah, you're telling me. Provenza just keeps going back for more."

They hung back from the team just slightly, mostly because they were comfortable as they were standing. Sharon was comfortable standing at Andy's side, and his arm, that had started on her back, had made its way around her waist. Neither seemed to mind, and the team had not noticed. Rusty only patted Sharon on the shoulder as he moved by her, also unfazed by their display of affection, and moved toward the rest of the team.

"Well, this isn't as good as seeing the fireworks for the game," Andy leaned down and whispered in her ear, "but, I do have to admit I will enjoy just walking downstairs when this is over and not fighting the game traffic."

"See?" Sharon teased as she smiled up to him. "There is a bright spot to this day."

"Hmm," Andy grunted, "some bright spot."

The fireworks ended, and Sharon and Andy stepped apart, both immediately missing the connection. The team started to say their good-byes, some heading home straight from the roof while others had to stop back at the condo. Sharon, Andy, and Rusty rode downstairs with Buzz, Amy, and Provenza.

"Buzz, can you drop me off at Patrice's house? Mike was taking Julio home," he stated.

"Sure, Lieutenant," Buzz nodded. "Rusty did you want to come over and play video games tonight? We talked about that earlier this week."

"Oh, yeah," Rusty looked to him. "Sorry, I've been working on that story and just made a huge breakthrough. Sure," he shrugged looking to Sharon. "Do you care if I go play video games all night, Sharon?"

"I won't say I'm thrilled about it, but go ahead," she gestured. "I'll be fine here," she nodded.

"Cool, "Rusty told them. "Ahh, Lieutenant, I can take you to Patrice's house if you want. Amy, do you need a ride?"

"Buzz is dropping me off too," she nodded to him. "Thanks, though."

"Okay, so I can drop off the lieutenant," he nodded to Provenza and will come over then. That work, Buzz?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll see you there," he said as the group arrived back at the condo. They gathered their things and left, leaving Sharon, Andy, Rusty and Provenza. Rusty ran back to his room to grab a few things, while Sharon and Andy started to clean up the mess. Provenza smoothed out his uniform again, checking it over for any problems.

"Are you really going to put that thing on tonight?" Andy asked him, a look of disgust on his face. Sharon had just stepped out of the room.

"I am," Provenza smirked. "Don't tell me she didn't comment on your uniform. I saw her messing with it several times," Provenza hissed. He'd lowered his voice and waved Andy over to tell him that. Andy shook his head.

"We're friends, Provenza," he sighed.

"Just get it over," Provenza told him. "Ask her out before I do it for you. You know that won't go well. You two are practically dating. She just doesn't know it. How is your girlfriend the last to know she's dating you? I don't see it," he shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. "I don't' see how woman find anything about you appealing. You can't even get your own girlfriend to notice she's dating you. You are a lousy boyfriend."

"Quiet down! I'm working on it, okay?" Andy sighed. "She's had a rough few months."

"Few months? Flynn if that is your excuse, you'll never get her to date you. She's had one thing after another since she started working with us. Add you to the mix now," he nodded to him, "and, I'm sure she'll have one thing after another with you. I'm not a fan of this, but obviously, she is just as much as you are. Lock this down, now, or I swear, Flynn, the team and I will figure out a way to do it for you," he complained.

"Yeah, I know. You're sick of it. Well, I'm sick of it too, at least the not knowing part. Lately, I think she's coming around. I'm not talking about it now, not before I talk to her, but just calm down," he sighed.

"Ready, Lieutenant," Rusty said as he reappeared. Sharon had gone to check on him, giving Andy and Provenza the few minutes to talk. Sharon followed, smiling at Rusty as he got his things for the evening.

"Rusty, be safe," she nodded to him. "Lieutenant, I guess enjoy your evening," she smiled to Provenza. Both waved as they left.

"And, then there were two," Andy smiled as he looked to Sharon. She chuckled, raising her eyebrows in jest. "Your place is clean, Sharon," Andy nodded as they looked around. He smiled at her and said, "What do you say to cheesecake and more fireworks?"


	15. Chapter 15

Sharon tried to still her hands. She was nervous, and she didn't know why. Well, she did know why. It was time to talk. Andy had excused himself to use the restroom while Sharon told him she'd make tea and slice the cheesecake. This was crazy. She had been doing just fine around him the last couple of days, but they'd been at work where she didn't have to flirt, didn't have to worry about flirting. Now, they were alone. That should not be crazy; they were alone all the time. In fact, Sharon preferred it when they were alone. They could be themselves and didn't have every aspect of their relationship under a microscope.

So, why now, when they were alone, finally, for the first time in days, was she so nervous? Yes, they'd been alone in the car and at the church, but they truly hadn't been alone. They'd been working, and it was easy to hide behind work. At work, she didn't have to flirt, didn't have to focus on attracting Andy. She was at work.; he was at work, and they had jobs to do. Now, they were home, Sharon's home, where she should feel safe and secure. She did, but she also felt nervous.

She took a deep breath as she waited for the water to finish boiling. She had the cups ready, along with the tea bags tonight. Sometimes, they preferred a loose-leaf tea, but tonight, she'd gone for an easier route, just tea bags. As the water started to boil, she poured it into the cups and immediately started putting in sugar. She liked a little more than Andy. As her mind drifted, she lost track of the sugar. Had she put three, four, even five teaspoons of sugar in? Oh, she'd have to start over. She had lost count. She sighed as she poured out the water and put fresh water in the cups. Luckily, she'd boiled enough water. She replaced the tea bags and focused when she put the sugar in the cups.

While she waited for the tea to finish, she put her arms on the counter, trying to calm herself. She took a deep breath, and then she took a second. She wasn't sure what calmed her, that action or the sudden feel of Andy's hands on her shoulders. The man needed a bell; she hadn't even heard him come up behind her. That could have been her fault too; she wasn't exactly with it right now.

"Hey," he said softly. "What's wrong?" He started to rub her shoulders, and Sharon instantly relaxed.

"Aside from scaring me there?" she quietly chuckled trying to make ease of the situation.

"Nah, you were tense before that. Your shoulders are in knots," he said as he continued to work on them.

She sighed and shook her head. "It's just been a long day, a long couple of days," she admitted. "I'm okay."

"Really, because I know you better than that," Andy said, stilling his hands and shifting his head to try and get a look at her eyes. He frowned. "I can finish that," he gestured to the tea.

"I'm almost done," she told him, "but I haven't sliced the cheesecake."

"That, I can do," he winked and patted her shoulders as he turned to the refrigerator. Sharon watched and chuckled as she saw him dig it out.

"You really did hide that cheesecake," she shook her head. "I can't believe you put it at the back of the vegetable drawer and then piled everything around it."

"Hey," he shrugged as he stood. He put the cheesecake on the counter. Sharon followed his movements. "I had to keep this safe. Had any member of the team discovered it, the thing would be gone, my bad mood would be back, and I wouldn't be standing here ready to enjoy the rest of the evening." She closed her eyes and let out a low hum. When she opened them, she caught him giving her an odd look. "You do want me here, don't you, Sharon? I can leave," he gestured to the door, "if you don't want me to stay for awhile."

"No, no," she said quickly and touched his arm. She squeezed it in reassurance. "I'm glad you are here. It's just," she gestured, but not sure what she was gesturing toward, "me."

He nodded and moved to get the plates. Sharon smiled as she turned her attention back to the tea, noting how easily Andy moved about her kitchen. He didn't need to ask where things were, but as she thought about it, she didn't need to ask at his house either. Provenza had been poking at Andy earlier, Sharon too for that matter, about knowing where a simple pair of scissors were located. Truth be told, she was very familiar with Andy's house, as he was with hers. It was nice; it was comfortable, and she didn't want to give it up.

Sharon moved to the table and put both mugs of tea down. She sat and watched as Andy finished with the cheesecake. He again, moved easily around the kitchen, putting things away. He smiled when he gave her a piece of cheesecake and sat down next to her. They ate the cheesecake, neither saying much as they ate. The tea was still hot to drink, so both left it. When they had finished the cheesecake, Andy stood to clear the plates.

"I can get those," she told him.

"Oh, I know you can," he winked. "Sharon may I clear the plates?" he smirked, going back to her grammatical reference earlier when she'd corrected him for asking for a ride to the station.

She rolled her eyes, "Of course, you may," she nodded. "Thank you."

While Andy put away the plates, Sharon started fidgeting again with the placemats. Her mind started to wander, and she thought about telling Andy to go home. She didn't want him to leave, but she was almost sick to her stomach at the topic of their conversation. It was time, though; it was probably a conversation they should have had a long time ago. Yes, she needed to do this.

"Come on," he said as he walked up behind her and tugged at her tangled mess of her hands. He pulled her up with him. "It's a beautiful night. Let's sit on your balcony for a few minutes. Rusty isn't coming home tonight, so we don't need to worry about him coming to hang out with us on the balcony. Plus, as you mentioned, there should be fireworks all evening. I'd enjoy sitting out there with you watching them."

Sharon nodded and followed Andy. He didn't let go of her hand, and the two found themselves standing at the railing looking to the city. They were side by side, their shoulders touching. Andy used his shoulder to nudge Sharon.

"So?" he asked as he looked to her. "What has you so flustered lately?"

"I haven't been flustered," she started to say, but when she turned to him and her eyes met his, she rolled her eyes and tried to look away. He took his arm that was draped over the railing and reached over to clasp her hand in his.

"Sharon, I think I can sometimes understand you better than yourself. It's me; talk to me- realize it's just me, and I'm here to listen," he explained. "Would you prefer to sit down?"

Sharon looked over at the lounge chairs and nodded. Andy let her get situated and then he moved to sit in the one next to her. She looked to him as he leaned back and got comfortable. "Can I sit with you?" she asked, suddenly feeling a bit shy now for asking. "I'm a bit chilly and would also prefer to sit closer."

"Of course," Andy smiled. Sharon moved quickly, realizing this was the first honest thing she'd said to him in a few days, admitting she wanted to sit with him, even if the 'chilly' part hadn't been the exact reason. It was true, though. She knew she would be chilly if she wasn't this second, and the thought of Andy keeping her warm, well, that, if she was honest, was a very good thought. Andy moved over, and Sharon sat on the chair with him, scooting closer to him. She put her head on his shoulder, and he ended up wrapping his arm around her back. "Better?" he asked now that she was tucked into his side.

"Much," she said as she took a deep breath and tried to relax. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, Andy," she told him. Sharon wasn't really ready for this, but she knew she needed to start talking right away before she lost her nerve. She could tell he nodded at her statement, but then he remained quiet to let her speak. "I mean what I said that I am not going to continue living in fear worry that Stroh is lurking around every corner. Knowing that, I know you deserve an explanation and some idea of my thoughts for the future, hopes for the future," she clarified.

"You've been thinking about your future?" Andy asked quietly. His voice was calm and soothing, just what Sharon needed to hear to relax.

"I have," she took his hand that was on his lap in hers and started running her thumb over it.

"This between us," she said. "It's not going away, is it?"

He angled slightly to get a read on her face, "Do you want it to go away? Do you want me to go away?"

"Well, I, ahh, who am I to tell you what to do?" she stammered before spitting out an answer she instantly regretted. She grimaced as she heard the words herself, knowing she wasn't doing a good job with this. Andy continued to look at her, now with eyebrows raised. "No," she corrected her statement without thinking. "I'm sorry. You deserve better; you deserve an honest answer. I don't want you to go away. Do you want to walk away?"

"Not a chance," he said quietly again, squeezing her shoulder. "But, I feel like you have more to say, Sharon, or I should clarify, you need to say. I have plenty to say, but since you've been working through so much, tell me about it," he encouraged her.

"You have plenty to say?" she said as she looked to him. She hadn't expected to hear that considering all her flirting attempts had fallen on deaf ears.

"I do, and I promise to tell you all of that, but you first. You have this internal struggle going on that I would like you to voice before I say anything," he explained.

"Okay," she said with a deep breath. "Andy, I've thought about our friendship a lot. I've thought about the possibility of well, maybe more than a friendship," she said quickly and looked away. Andy remained quiet until she gathered her thoughts and looked back to him. He was surprised because when she looked back to him, she looked annoyed, "Andy, I've tried fliting with you shamelessly for over the last week, and you haven't even noticed! My struggle is while I thought I had a read on this situation, I apparently don't. I guess now, we need to discuss the boundaries of our friendship because I thought there was something there, and it seems to be one-sided. I've been a mess trying to figure you out, and now I don't even know what I want."

"Sharon," he said softly again, tugging at her hand until she looked to him. He offered a small smile, "I think you finally know what you want. You need to say it, though. I can't say it for you."

Sharon was getting more and more flustered. "Andy, I have thought this through and thought I wanted to possibly explore more than a friendship with you. I'm sorry I read everything wrong. You've asked why I've been so flustered. I guess I've been trying to throw myself at you, and I apologize. I can and will go back to our work routine. We do better there where I'm not flirting with you."

Andy got a small smile on his face and nodded, "So, you have been trying to flirt with me outside of work, think it's a bad idea, and you want to go back to no flirting at work, to just being friends?" he clarified.

"Yes, no, I don't know," she sighed. "You don't even notice when I try to flirt."

"You're terrible at it!" he said rather loudly and then closed his eyes, realizing he'd just blown a real conversation with Sharon. She looked at him with a horrified expression and then started to move from the chair. He tugged to her arm and got her to look at him. "Please," he sighed. "MAY I speak now?" he enunciated the word 'may' again poking at their previous mention of it.

She nodded and looked down. She couldn't look at him now. "Sharon," he started to chuckle and tried to contain it. He didn't want her to think he was laughing at her. "Sharon," he said again, trying to get her attention, "I've noticed. I've noticed all your flirting, and Sweetheart, if you don't think you've been flirting with me at work, you are mistaken," he offered a small smile. Sharon opened her mouth to protest, but Andy raised his free hand to ask her to wait. "Sharon, you try too hard, and really, I wish instead of you trying so hard, you would have just talked to me from the start. You flirt best when you don't even realize it. It's something that I'm very attracted to in you, and I'm the lucky guy because you only seem to do that with me. I guess I should say I hope you only do that with me," he raised his eyebrows in hopeful wonder. "The first night I noticed you were trying too hard, I admit, I didn't realize you were flirting. It was the night you had me over for dinner. I was an idiot that night. I shouldn't have run out, as I've apologized for already. It didn't dawn on me all of that had been flirting until a day later. I thought you were jittery about things with Stroh still, and that you might be worried about Rusty being out for the evening. As I thought about it on the way home and the next day, I realized you were putting out all these signs, things I missed. The dress," he sighed. "That dress was gorgeous on you, by the way," he smiled. "I'm sorry. I realized you'd been flirting, but even then, I thought that you were still freaked out about the Stroh mess. I really didn't want to argue about that again. We've disagreed with my fear for you and Rusty. It wasn't until you brought dinner to my place after we closed that case that I realized you were flirting again. Sharon," he sighed and shook his head, noting that Sharon was still looking away from him. He nudged her, and she finally met his eyes.

"You don't need to flirt with me to get me to notice. I've noticed, believe me," he offered a small smile. "I love flirting with you just to flirt. These last few days have been so tense. I don't like that, and I would like to figure this out. Now, please accept my apology about the flirting. I'm sorry if you felt like I was a dense idiot who'd missed everything. I didn't. I was a dense idiot who didn't know how to address it with you and was trying to figure out what in the world you were doing."

Sharon used her free hand to cover her face. Andy used his hand to stroke her back. He pulled her closer, trying to encourage her to uncover her face. Andy pushed her hair away from her face and nudged at her hand. "I'd really like to see your face right now. It calms me to see you face," he admitted.

Sharon looked up to him and shook her head. "I have been a roller coaster of emotions. How can we be so good at talking to each other, yet so bad at talking to each other about this?"

He sighed and started to run his hand along her back, "I guess we both realize we have a lot at stake here, personally, professionally, and emotionally. At least, I know that's true for me. Sharon, we've been getting closer for over a year now, probably closer to two years if we had to admit it. Looking back, I didn't necessarily have this as some goal. I enjoyed your company and spending time with you. Somewhere along the way, my feelings started to change. I knew you weren't there yet, had to truthfully tell myself you may never be there; you were still married to Jack, even, and I knew I had to put a lid on my feelings. I did, or at least I tried," he gave her a small smile. He squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I knew you needed a friend, and I was determined to be it-through Rusty's issues, through the Jack divorce mess, and even through the Stroh mess. Truthfully, I wasn't sure you would ever be ready to move on from that, but I'm sensing lately you might be ready."

"I am," Sharon finally spoke, again knowing she needed to do this now before she tried to avoid another conversation. "Andy, it hit me like a ton of bricks," she rolled her eyes. "One day something with you just clicked. I've grown so attached to you these last couple of years, and it was just recently I realized I don't want to let you go. I know I tried to hide from it, all the comments from the kids, the team," she let out her breath, "I just didn't want to face it. I was scared and didn't see our time as anything more than a friendship. At least, I tried to tell myself that," she sighed again.

Andy let her catch her breath. He continued to run his hand up and down her back. She was relaxed; he could tell it relaxed her. Sharon could tell it too. She took a deep breath and continued, "I realize I've not been fair to you for quite some time. I've kept you at arm's length for months while I dealt with the Stroh mess. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry I pulled away from the one person who wanted to keep me close."

Andy nodded and squeezed her shoulder as she continued. "I knew what you meant a couple weeks ago now when you asked what I needed you to do. I knew you were hinting at things outside the office, and once again, I tried to dodge that. I even believe I told you I needed you to be a friend. Andy, that wasn't fair. You've been a friend to me for years now. You couldn't have done a better job. Truthfully, I am beginning to realize I need you for more than that, at least I think so and hope you do too. The whole flirting mess," she sighed and then groaned. "Andrea was helping me, and I should not have taken her advice on that."

"Wait," Andy started to chuckle, "you've got Hobbs on this too? She gave you all the flirting advice?"

Sharon sat back and smacked at his chest, "You have Provenza. I talk to Andrea, or at least I used to speak to Andrea. Now, I'm not so sure. She didn't just give me advice on flirting. She'd been trying to convince me to talk to you for quite some time. I told her I would, that I was worried now you weren't interested because my flirting had been so bad and had failed so miserably. She told me to talk to you anyway."

"Well, for that I should thank her," he admitted. "Sharon, I don't know how this turned out to be such a mess. Can we do that," he gestured between them, "just talk now? I think we've made a good start, but I want to just get everything in the open."

Sharon shifted in the chair to move into Andy's side again. During their talking and moving around, she'd gotten further away from him. She missed the closeness. She felt his arm tighten its grip on her shoulder. Sharon shifted her head slightly so she could see his face. "I am worried that I can't be normal around you. I'm worried that now that I've thought about you as more than a friend that I can't deal with it, that I can't actually handle it. I think of you all the time, Andy," she shook her head. "I'm worried I won't be able to jump from friends to anything more. The idea terrifies me still, but I am not trying to hide what I'm thinking anymore. You need to know that this all terrifies me."

"What is the terrifying part?" he asked. "I want to understand, Sharon." He continued to try to relax her by running his hand up and down her back. She took a deep breath and tried to explain further.

"I guess I was okay when I was blissfully unaware. I didn't realize for the longest time it looked like we were together, dating, more than friends," she continued to clarify. "Rusty first mentioned it in a comment back in December when we went to the ballet, and of course, I knew what Nicole thought then too. I barely had time to sort through that when the Stroh mess surfaced, and I pushed the idea out of my head. I went into survival mode, and now that I'm digging out from that, these thoughts are here again, stronger than ever; I am sure of that."

"I'm worried I won't be able to be what you need, as more than a friend, and I'm also worried I won't be able to balance all this," she gestured between them. "I'm worried how it will be balancing this with work, and I'm worried I'll push you away or do something to cause you to run away. I'm not good at relationships. Andy, I'm worried we can't make this work," she sighed.

"Can I be honest here?" Andy asked and waited for Sharon to nod before he continued. "Sharon, you are thinking too much about something that is already going just fine. Yes, we're best friends, but that doesn't mean we can't shift to more. It also doesn't mean it's going to be a disaster. We won't know unless we try. Let me ask you something-are you comfortable here, right now?" he gestured to the setting.

Sharon looked around confused, but nodded, "Of course. Aside from this horribly awkward conversation, I'm very comfortable right now. I'm content. I'm here with you."

Andy gestured to her, "This, my dear, isn't just a friendship. You think I'd hang out with Provenza like this? Let's go for a woman since you'll argue that. What about Sykes? She's a friend. Would I sit here with her like this? What about Andrea? Sharon, we're curled up in a chair on your balcony. It's late on the 4th of July. We've just worked tirelessly for a couple of days on a case, and the only place I want to be is right here with you. I think if you are truthful, you'd say the same."

Realization hit Sharon, and she instantly tried to distance herself from Andy. He ran his hand up her arm to get her to look at him. "What do I now have leprosy or something? I say that, and you instantly freeze and want to move away."

Sharon closed her eyes and nodded. She met his gaze then, "You're right. As I said, I've been kidding myself. I think if I'd walked out here tonight and found you like this with Amy, I might have lost it," she offered a low chuckle. She then hummed, "That's just it, Andy. I don't want to imagine you curled up on my patio chair with anyone else."

"Well, that would be kind of creepy, Sharon," he admitted, trying to get her to laugh. "Sharon, you are a lot more comfortable with me than you realize. We were doing just fine before Andrea, Rusty, Nicole, Provenza, or any other people close to us have tried to insert themselves into our lives. Sharon, that's what this is-our lives. No one else gets a say. I'm only interested in what you want and are thinking."

Sharon had listened and settled herself again against Andy. She took a deep breath and pulled his hand in hers. It had been resting on his leg, and she squeezed it. "Andy, I think I want to try more. I'm still a mess, but I know if we don't try, we will never know. I would miss this if we grew apart."

"We aren't going to grow apart, Sharon," Andy said quietly. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand. "We've continued to grow closer for the last two years. There's no one else I'd rather spend time with, just you. I haven't gone anywhere; I'm not going anywhere," he added.

Sharon shook her head to acknowledge him. "I've pushed you away more times than I can count. I do not want to keep doing that. I want to try and move forward."

"Then, we'll move forward," he said as he tightened his grip on her shoulder.


	16. Chapter 16

After Andy's statement, the two sat quietly and enjoyed the evening air. They watched as fireworks lit up the sky throughout the evening and the greater LA skyline. At one point, Andy could tell Sharon was getting cold so he stood and motioned to her he'd be right back. He returned a few minutes later with a blanket and their cups of tea.

"I warmed up our tea," he said quietly as he handed her a mug. She smiled at him as she shifted again to make room for him to sit. "I also thought a blanket was in order," he explained as he situated himself and draped it across both of them. Sharon moved to the side to let Andy get comfortable and then she snuggled up to him once again. Once they had maneuvered on the chair, Andy put the blanket over both of them.

"Mmm, thank you," she said as she sipped her tea. "Perfect."

"Yeah," he agreed as he shook his head.

Sharon cleared her throat and addressed their earlier conversation, "So, how do we move forward?"

"We don't do anything," he said and as he sensed Sharon's perplexed reaction, he explained, "I mean, we don't force anything. We just let things be. That's what you want, isn't it? I want you to be happy, comfortable, and safe. Sharon, I don't see a reason to analyze our next move. I want to move forward with you, at whatever pace that is."

"So, we just let things happen," she stated as she nodded, taking in the idea. "Okay."

"We adjust to this. The last thing I want to do is freak you out. We go to work, and we adjust to these new thoughts. Well," he grinned, "I wouldn't say they are exactly new thoughts, but maybe newly expressed thoughts," he smiled. Sharon nodded as she chuckled behind her tea. He continued, "The big thing is we keep talking. We express concerns or times something is uncomfortable. We don't move forward without the other," he added.

Sharon nodded as she hummed to herself. The two continued to sit while they drank their tea and watched the evening sky. Once they had both finished their tea, Sharon put both mugs on the side table, and she snuggled up to Andy again. They felt relaxed, truly relaxed.

"Andy," she said quietly a few minutes later, "this is the most I've relaxed in a very long time. I'm glad we talked."

"I am too, Sharon," he said as he pulled his grip tighter on her. He had both arms wrapped around her now, partly because she was still cold even with the blanket, but partly because he was glad to finally be able to express his affection and hold her in his arms.

"I'm afraid I'm going to fall asleep out here," she looked up to tell him. He smiled sweetly at her.

"I guess I'd better go then," he told her. "Even with the case and baseball mess, this had been a very good night," he said honestly as he brushed her hair out of her face. She nodded as she looked to him. The moment seemed right, not forced or awkward, so he leaned in and kissed her. Sharon didn't seem to be surprised or to mind; she shifted slightly to return the kiss. It didn't get heated; it didn't last a long time, but it did hold a lot of promise.

As they pulled apart, he pulled back, trying to gauge her reaction. "I'm sorry. I should have asked," he let out a small sigh.

"No," she gripped his hand, "you didn't need to ask, Andy. It was fine."

"Fine," he grumbled, "great, thanks."

"No," she started to laugh now, breaking any tension, "Andy, I'm glad you kissed me. It was more than fine," she squeezed his hand as she told him that. Her eyes met his, and she smiled at him. This time, Sharon leaned in and met Andy for a second kiss. That kiss lasted about as long as the first, and she smiled to him as they separated.

"Definitely more than fine," she teased him this time.

"More than fine," he grumbled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at her. Sharon started to laugh too. Andy immediately moved his hand to the back of her neck and started to run his hand over her ticklish spot.

"Oh, stop," she started laughing. She jumped up out of the chair and spun around. Andy stood and flashed his playful smile at her.

He winked at her and opened his arms, "I promise. I just want to say good night, no more tickling."

"You promise?" she rolled her eyes. "You'd better not start whatever this is between us," she gestured to them, "this dating business if that's what we are actually calling it, "by lying to me," she said as she moved to him. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"No lying, that I can promise," he said quietly in her ear. "Walk me to the door?"

"Of course," she nodded, and the two moved hand in hand through the condo. Sharon grabbed her car keys off the table and dangled them for Andy. "Ah, right," he nodded. "How about this," he started to say as he held both of her hands and looked into her eyes. "Our little car plan was derailed slightly when Rusty went to hang out with Buzz for the night. How about I pick you up in the morning and go to Mass with you?"

"Andy, you don't have to do that," Sharon shook her head.

"I know," he shrugged. "I'd like to go with you. I'm not promising every week, but if it's okay with you, I'd like to go. You get a pretty good deal from this," he told her. "I'm promising the return of your car, company in Mass, and then lunch. If you have a better offer, just let me know."

Sharon pulled herself closer to Andy, still smiling at him. She gripped his elbows, "Well, even if I get a better offer, there's no one else I prefer go with me. Thank you."

"My pleasure," he nodded. "I'm going to go now before I decide to stay."

Sharon's eyes grew wide as she processed the statement. Andy ran his hands down her arms, "I said we'll adjust to this, take baby steps. Sharon, I mean it," he said as he gave her a look. "I didn't mean that as it came out. Baby steps."

She nodded as she continued to look away. When she turned back to him and her eyes met his, they both smiled warmly at each other. "We move forward," she told him. "I will keep telling myself that."

"I hope you don't have to," Andy replied, a small frown on his face. "I hope you don't have to tell yourself anything. I hope it comes naturally and feels normal to you. If it doesn't, we talk, and we'll decide where to go from there. Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded to him as she gripped his hands tighter.

"I'd really like to kiss you again," he said, and before he could say anything more, Sharon leaned up and the two met for another kiss.

When they broke apart, Sharon said quietly, "Andy, you really don't have to ask to kiss me. Kissing you," she shrugged, "feels natural."

"Good. I hope it always will," he smiled and ran his hand on her face. "Have a good night, Sharon."

"You too," she nodded. "Drive carefully, both for your safety and my car," she grinned at him. He chuckled and squeezed her hand as she opened the door.

"Night," he said quietly as he left. "I'll text you when I get home." Sharon shut the door and leaned against it, trying to process all the events of the night. For once, she wasn't freaking out. She wasn't questioning her every move. She realized she was happy and content. Sharon thought through the evening, smiling as her memory trailed over the talk she and Andy had. Baby steps, yes. She could do that. She'd taken a huge leap this evening finally talking to Andy. It couldn't-it wouldn't-be this hard moving forward. She pushed herself off the door and moved about the condo closing it up for the night.

She stopped suddenly and shook her head, groaning. Baby steps were great except when it involved telling your own grown babies about your new relationship status.


	17. Chapter 17

She went about her bedtime routine and felt like a huge weight had been lifted; it had in some ways. Things were out in the open, and she and Andy had finally talked. "We move forward," she kept replaying in her mind, the phrase they'd discussed over and over that evening. Andy was right; she shouldn't have to keep reminding herself of that, but while it was new and fresh, she smiled as she thought of it. The phrase wasn't a burden now; it was the start of a hopeful future.

Her text message alerted her, and she smiled when she saw it was Andy, "Your car and I are home. It's resting comfortably in my driveway. Since it's well after midnight, I won't call. Sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning for Mass."

She continued to smile as she reread the text and climbed into bed. She tried to think of just the right thing to say to him and after a few minutes typed, "I've been thinking about you since you left and have been mostly smiling."

"Mostly?" he typed back, an obvious question at hand.

"Yes," she typed and continued, "because it dawned on me that we will have to tell the kids things are changing. When I thought about you and that conversation with all five of them, I got irritated. So, I'm partially irritated at you because this is your doing." She put a smiley face next to that so he knew she was partially joking.

"My doing? I see how it is; you've adopted Provenza's mantra already of 'It's always the boyfriend,' haven't you?" he asked.

"Exactly," she sent back. "We can discuss tomorrow. Night, Andy," she told him. She knew he'd chuckle at that, and while she was joking with him, it would have to be a topic of discussion soon.

With such a short night, morning came quickly. Sharon moved around the quiet condo getting ready for Mass. She started thinking about it and realized she hadn't discussed a time with Andy. She went in search of her phone, but she didn't get far before he knocked at her door.

"I realized we didn't discuss a time, which service we were going to attend," she said as she opened the door.

He raised his eyebrows, "No greeting? 'Hello,' 'Morning Andy,' 'Wow, you look hot today'-nothing?" he teased as he smiled at her. She chuckled and moved out of the way for him to enter her condo. "I even came with gifts," he gestured to his hand where he had two cups from coffee shop down from Sharon's condo.

Sharon pursed her lips and nodded, "If I give you a better greeting, do I get a cup of coffee?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "A better greeting won't get you a cup of coffee."

She frowned at him, "What will it get me then?"

"A cup of tea," he winked. "Come on, Captain. I know you much better than that. You always prefer tea."

"Ahh," she nodded, "well done, Lieutenant. You get brownie points for that," she smiled as she accepted the cup of tea from him. "Good morning, Andy. Thank you for the tea. You look very handsome in your yellow shirt and blue tie."

"Oh, this old thing?" he gestured to his tie. "It was a birthday gift from a very classy lady," he winked to her. She shook her head.

"You are terrible. You, Lieutenant Flynn, flirt about anything," she said as she continued to laugh. "I'm surprised you haven't accidently flirted with, I don't know, Provenza or Rusty."

"Yeah, that won't be happening. I've got you to use all my flirting skills," he grinned.

"Oh," she groaned, "how did I get so lucky?" She took a step closer and smoothed down his tie. He watched as her hands fixed it.

He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "You'll need to tell me what it is about ties that causes you to flirt so much with me. You and your ties," he said quietly and kissed her cheek. "Good morning to you."

Sharon felt herself blushing at his comment as she took a step back. She shrugged her shoulders, "I like ties on you."

"I'm only going to ask this once, just out of total curiosity, but did you mess with Jack's ties like this?" he questioned.

Sharon started to laugh, "No, actually. It's just your ties. I really don't know why. I guess I just like being closer to you."

"Good," he leaned in and kissed her other cheek. "I might have issue if you start doing this to Jack next time he shows up for a case."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "The only thing I want to do with Jack and one of his ties is strangle him. You don't have to worry about anything else."

Andy laughed as Sharon pulled him to the kitchen. "I'm almost ready, but really, we didn't talk about which service did we?"

He rolled his eyes, "Sharon, I know what Mass you prefer to attend. This all might be newly defined," he gestured between them, "but let's remember we've known each other, well I might add, for a long time."

"Well, I appreciate you knowing me so well," she smiled. She put her phone in her purse and turned back to him. "I'm all set. You're sure you don't mind coming with me?"

He nodded, "I'm sure. I have a feeling it won't be my last time in church with you. I'm not opposed to going at all. It's important to you; therefore, it's important to me. I like the Father at your church too. He's a good guy, and he gives good advice in confession."

"You've gone to see him?" she asked, eyebrows now raised.

"Let's just say he probably won't be surprised to see us there together," Andy winked to her. Sharon just closed her eyes and sighed as she nodded. "Hey, like I said, he's a good guy. Part of the reason I don't enjoy Mass is I can't relate to the priest. He and I have talked several times now at confession. I knew you liked him," he shrugged.

Sharon patted his arm as she took his hand in hers, "You are a good man, Andy. Let's go and enjoy our day." Before they stepped out the door, Andy tugged on her hand, and she turned around where they met for another soft kiss. Sharon smiled to him as he winked to her.

They made it through Mass, both aware of several eyes staring at them. This was Sharon's church; they were used to her being alone. Some remembered Jack, but aside from the kids, she'd never brought another man with her, especially not one who seemed to be as attentive as Andy. He made sure not to do anything inappropriate in church, not that he would even outside of church, but Andy kept his hands to himself.

Sharon did not. She surprised herself wanting to be closer to Andy, glad he had come with her. She laced their hands together as they sat, the reality of their new-found relationship status hitting her. As the priest delivered his sermon, she listened, relating much of what he said to her life here and now, her life that was including Andy. When the service was over, she and Andy walked out hand in hand to greet the priest.

"Good morning, Father," Sharon greeted the priest as they left the church.

"Ahh, a good morning to you, Sharon," he smiled. He looked to Andy, who was still holding Sharon's hand, "and to you too, Andy," he nodded. "Nice to see you here together."

"We think so too," Sharon nodded.

"Father," Andy shook his hand. "Nice to see you again."

"I do hope this will mean I'll be seeing more of you together," he smiled. Sharon and Andy both smiled and nodded to him. "Well then, blessings to you both."

"How about some lunch by the beach?" Andy suggested as they started walking to Sharon's car. He offered her the keys, and she just shook her head for him to keep them and drive.

"That sounds nice. We haven't been to that seafood restaurant we like in quite some time," she stated.

"Your chariot awaits," he gestured as he opened the car door. They started toward the restaurant, and Sharon turned toward him.

"You realize the kids aren't going to let us live this down I assume?" she asked. Andy reached for her hand, raised it, and kissed it before holding it on the console.

"Let them laugh," he shrugged. When he pulled up to the next stoplight, he turned slightly to note Sharon's worried expression. "Look, I mostly don't care. My kids like you. Yes, we'll get the dating junk from them, but so what? The one kid I'm worried about is Rusty, and that's mostly because he lives with you. I know it's going to be an adjustment for Rusty. Sure, he's used to seeing me around, but it's going to be slightly different now. I know he's had trust issues with male figures in his life, but I hope that since he already knows me, seeing me in a different light with you won't be a problem."

"He's my main concern too," Sharon nodded. "I'll talk to him, and while I am sensitive to his concerns about you in my life or the two of us together, I won't let him dictate this relationship."

Andy eyed her, "Sharon, I won't come between you and Rusty."

"No, you won't," Sharon nodded in agreement. "Rusty will be okay with this, even if he has to adjust to the idea. Look, as you said, he does know you. I am not going to back away now because Rusty might be slightly uncomfortable. Our kids have always come first for us, Andy, and yes, they always will, but Rusty's insecurities about his biological mother do not have a place in our relationship. Rusty has liked you for years. Even if he's a bit skeptical at first, I am confident he will come around soon."

"Okay," Andy nodded. "I'm hoping you are right."

Sharon didn't get to say anything further because her phone rang. She picked it up and looked to Andy, "Speak of the devil," she gestured to her phone.

Andy nodded, and as she answered it, he whispered, "He's welcome to meet us for lunch." Sharon nodded at that and turned her attention to Rusty.

"Rusty," she smiled when she answered. Andy continued through the city traffic, and when Sharon got off the phone she turned back to Andy. "He's going to meet us for lunch if you are sure that's okay. He was just leaving Buzz's place, and you know he loves seafood too."

"Great," Andy told her. "So, now what are you planning to tell him?"

Sharon thought a moment, pursing her lips, "Nothing," she told Andy. He eyed her like she was crazy before she continued. "Look," she shrugged. "We both discussed baby steps. We'll proceed with caution with Rusty too. We've just discussed this, and as we've both said, it's not going to look much different. We'll ease Rusty into this just as we are ourselves."

He continued to glance to her as he drove, "So, what, I have to pretend we aren't dating now?"

"No," she answered. "I think we're doing just fine."

"What if I want to hold your hand or something?" he asked.

Sharon smiled, "I think that's fine. Let Rusty see it. Obviously, if he asks, we'll answer, but just let him process it on his own right now."

"What if I want to kiss you?" he grinned.

"Ahh, well, that's part of dating. He thinks we are dating, so," she shrugged again, "let him see it. Tasteful is the key word, Andy," she smirked to him. He nodded in reply.

"Yeah, I can be tasteful, and I'm not going to make out with you or something at lunch, although," he put his finger to his mouth as he glanced her way, "that sounds nice, very tempting. We haven't done that. That could be the next baby step," he winked. Sharon chuckled and took his hand again. They continued to drive. Andy spoke as they were almost to the restaurant, "When should Rusty be here?"

Sharon looked around and pointed, "He's already here. He'd called me to tell me he was working something for that story of his near the beach. When I suggested lunch, it seemed to all fit nicely." Andy nodded as he parked next to Rusty's car. Rusty was standing against the side of it looking at his phone.

"Hey," he said to them as they got out of Sharon's car. He eyed them with curiosity. "Sharon, did he go to Mass with you?"

Sharon looked to Andy as if that would give her the answer. Andy just shrugged and looked to Rusty, "I go to Mass."

Rusty gave him a look over his sunglasses, "Since when?"

"Rusty," Sharon sighed, "Andy went to Mass with me, yes. We needed to get our car situation worked out for one thing."

Rusty noticed then that Andy was driving Sharon's car, "What car situation? Lieutenant, why are you driving Sharon's car?"

Andy and Sharon met at the front of the car. Rusty pushed himself off his car, and Andy answered, "We worked that case yesterday. We drove your mom's car home, and then when it was time for me to go home last night, I borrowed her car. I returned it this morning to take her to Mass. After lunch, we are driving to work to pick up my car."

"Oh," Rusty shrugged his shoulder. "okay."

Rusty turned and walked ahead of them. Sharon reached out and smiled at Andy as she took his hand in hers. They followed Rusty. "Rusty, did you have a nice evening with Buzz?"

"Yeah, it was cool," he nodded, as he opened the door for them. He gave Sharon an odd look as she and Andy stepped into the restaurant, but he didn't say anything. "We played video games until about 3:00 this morning. Then, we both crashed."

Andy, who had followed Sharon inside, spoke to the hostess while Sharon spoke to Rusty. He walked up behind them, putting his hand on Sharon's back. "She's checking on the deck. Would you like to eat outside?"

"That sounds nice," Sharon nodded. Rusty shrugged.

"Fine by me," he said. "I'm just hungry. I must admit I like seafood now. Never thought I'd like it, but you have won me over," he looked to the two of them and rolled his eyes. Rusty glanced back to his phone while Sharon smiled at Andy. The hostess caught their attention, and the three moved toward their table. Rusty was busy with his phone and didn't notice or comment that Andy and Sharon were holding hands again. At the table, Andy held the seat for Sharon, nothing new, and Rusty sat across from the two of them.

The three started to study the menu, and for most of their lunch, nothing was out of the ordinary. Rusty was used to going out to eat with Sharon and Andy. That was nothing new, and Andy acted as he normally did, even his hand on the back of Sharon's chair was normal for him. When it came time to leave, Sharon and Andy argued over the bill, which was also normal.

"Sharon, I've got it. Please, let me," he threw a glance her way.

"You don't always have to pay," she pointed out to him.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm going to try as much as I can," he smiled to her.

"Is this what you're always going to be like?" she teased. Rusty rolled his eyes at their banter. He'd seen it plenty.

"Get used to it," Andy winked to her as he paid. Sharon rolled her eyes, but then turned to him.

"Thank you," she nodded.

"Yeah, thanks for lunch, Lieutenant," Rusty told him. Sharon took this chance to address that.

"Rusty, you know Andy has told you for over a year to call him Andy. You don't have to keep calling him Lieutenant. Ricky and Emily call him Andy," she pointed out.

Rusty made a face, "I don't know; I'll think about it. Andy," he shook his head, "sounds weird."

Andy rolled his eyes, "It's my name. So, if I'm Lieutenant, can you still be Kid?"

Rusty shrugged, "Whatever, Lieutenant," he said as he started to grin. "So, you two are going back to work?"

"Only to get Andy's car," Sharon pointed out. "Then, I am heading to the grocery store."

"I'm going to stop by Nic's house for a couple of hours," he told them. "I haven't seen them all week." He turned to Sharon, "Would you like to walk on the beach before we go?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Rusty, want to join us?"

"You two?" he nodded and shook his head, "No, thanks. I'm good. I'm going to work on this story of mine. Are we ready to go?"

"Yes," Sharon told him, and the three moved back through the restaurant. When they gathered outside, Andy and Sharon stood next to each other, clasping their hands again. Rusty again didn't comment.

"Thanks again for lunch, Lieutenant. Sharon, I'll be home later. Are we doing anything for dinner?" he asked.

"Hmm, probably not," she told him. "After this big lunch, I don't think I'll want much for dinner."

"Okay, cool. Enjoy your walk," he waved to the two of them as he left. Sharon and Andy watched him leave, and then Andy turned to Sharon, still holding hands.

"See, he didn't even notice," he gestured to their hands. "I think we've overthought this quite a bit. I also think we've been looking like we are dating for a long time."

Sharon chuckled as she patted his chest, "You are probably right. I think I'll leave my shoes here at the car."

"Same here, and I'm ditching the tie," he nodded to her. Sharon sighed, and Andy just pulled her to his side, "I know that kills you that I'm losing the tie, but you get me all to yourself on our walk."

"That I will take," she said. "Well, I know we aren't done talking with Rusty, but that was the first hurdle. At some point, we'll need to discuss things further. I'm still worried about work, Andy. I'm not sure I can do this at work."

"You'll be fine," he told her. "I know you, and you'll do just fine. Let's give it a couple of days. If you can't handle work, we can re-examine this, and if you really don't want to date, we'll step back. Look, the team already thinks we've been dating for months, if not years, so it's really just the two of us who have to be okay with this. Plus, I haven't taken you on a real date yet, and you can't break up with me before I even take you on a real date," he offered a sad smile to her. "Plus, before you break up with me, I really need to get in more kisses with you. That's a baby step I like, and I really don't want to give that up yet."

Sharon closed her eyes as she laughed, "Andy, you just took me to lunch. We spent all last evening at the condo talking-and kissing," she added.

"That's not a date, not a real first date," he leaned in and whispered to her. "Come on; my reputation can't handle the idea of a real date being one we take Rusty with us," he grinned. Andy stepped back and looked to Sharon. She just smiled and looked away.

"Come one; let's walk," he said as he pulled on her hand. She looked to him with question. "What?" he asked. "Okay, we can stop and kiss too while we walk," he winked to her.

She sighed as she shook her head. She looked back to him and said,"Well? So, if last night wasn't a date, and this wasn't a date," she trailed off as she waited.

"Baby steps," he winked. "I told you to get used to the idea we are dating. When you've had some time, we'll go on a date, and there won't be any question it's a date."


	18. Chapter 18

Monday morning put Sharon and Andy's newly defined, officially defined, relationship to its first test. Sharon was nervous again, but not about seeing Andy. Well, she was a bit nervous about seeing him because they were going to be at work. This would be their first day back at work since they'd talked, really talked, over the weekend. She was nervous she wouldn't be able to handle this, that she wouldn't be able to balance a personal relationship with Andy against her work relationship.

Quickly, she realized her nervousness was a bit ridiculous.

It was ridiculous because she noted that aside from being honest with each other finally and kissing-many, many times over the weekend, things weren't that different. Oh, she had to continually remind herself to focus, to not stare at his lips, because now that she'd kissed them, she couldn't stop staring at them; she knew what it was like to kiss Andy Flynn, and she liked it very much. She sat in her office trying to focus on paperwork, but her mind and her head kept drifting toward Andy's desk. The team was all busy at work, closing their disaster wedding case. She still had at least an hour of paperwork to complete before she wanted to break for lunch. If she didn't focus, it might take her two hours to complete the pile of paperwork.

"Captain," she heard and looked up to find Buzz standing at her doorway.

"Come in, Buzz," she nodded to him. He entered and handed her a stack of paperwork. "This is everything from my packet this weekend. Lieutenant Provenza signed off on it, but it still needs your signature too."

"Thank you," she nodded to him and accepted the packet. "I'll look at this after lunch, unless you need to turn it in before then."

"No, Ma'am," he told her. "It's not due until the end of this week, but I wanted to be efficient and hand it over to you in plenty of time,' he smiled.

She returned the smile, "Good work with the case, Buzz. Very good work. I'm sure Lieutenant Provenza noted that in his report, even if it pained him to admit that with the case ruining the baseball plans."

Buzz grinned and nodded, "Yes, he still gave me a very high rating. I think he was pleased with most everything. Of course, there's always room for improvement."

"Glad to hear it," she nodded to him as she started to turn back to her paperwork. She looked up to Buzz before he turned to leave, "Oh, Buzz, thank you again for inviting Rusty over after the fireworks Saturday evening. I know he had a good time."

"I did too, Captain. Rusty and I always enjoy hanging out together. I know he now has a brother and sister, but I think of him as a younger brother."

"I would say the feeling is mutual," Sharon smiled to him. "You're here around him everyday, and he learned to trust you very early on, even if he didn't want to do that," she rolled her eyes. "He looks up to you. Ricky," she sighed, "well, they might have gotten off to a rocky start, but those two now conspire like brothers should. We rarely have a moment of seriousness when the two of them are together, so thank you for being such a good role model for Rusty."

He offered a small smile, "You might not call me a role model if you knew we stayed up half the night playing video games."

Sharon chuckled, "See, you underestimate me. I already knew that. Rusty met us for lunch on Sunday and told us about staying up most of the night."

"Ahh," Buzz nodded, "he mentioned he had lunch with you and the lieutenant. I spoke to Rusty yesterday afternoon, after your lunch, about that story of his."

"Say no more," Sharon held up her hand. "I am trying very hard to stay out of his way regarding that story. I'm really trying not to get involved, which is hard."

Buzz's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he said, "That's impressive. I didn't know you were staying out of his investigation. I'm sure not knowing anything has to be hard," he grinned.

"Well, I didn't say I didn't know anything," she turned her head toward Andy. Buzz followed and then looked back to her grinning, "That makes sense. Rusty told me he'd run several ideas by the lieutenant, so I guess you are just slightly removed from the situation."

"Yes," Sharon smiled. "I'm not involved, directly at least, but I'm trying very hard to give Rusty some room on this one. It's a start," she sighed. "I guess you could call it a baby step," she bit her lip to keep from laughing. She could relate that terminology to many things in her life currently.

"Well, he's making progress, as you might have heard," Buzz told her. "I won't say another word. I'm sure your other source will inform you as needed," he grinned.

"I'm sure he will," Sharon smiled. "Thank you, Buzz."

Buzz left, and Andy looked toward her as Buzz shut her door. She smiled at him; he winked at her, and both got back to work. Sharon nodded to herself that maybe this could work. She wanted it to work, but she was afraid she would lose her professional demeanor if she allowed herself to move forward in a personal relationship with Andy. She shook her head to refocus and made an effort to finish her paperwork, which worked better than she had imagined because she almost didn't hear the knock and immediate opening of her office door over an hour later.

"Hey, want to grab some lunch? Most of the team has left for lunch," Andy asked her from the doorway. He was standing outside of the door with his head stuck into her office.

"Yes," she nodded, closing her computer. Andy opened the door further as he walked in to wait for her. "I have been buried in paperwork and didn't realize everyone had left already," she admitted.

"Most everyone left," he smiled as he corrected himself. "Amy said she was going to eat her salad at her desk."

Sharon nodded, checking her watch, "I hate to be gone too long. I have a lot of paperwork to still weed through this afternoon."

Andy nodded as he listened and held the door for her as she walked out of her office. "Well, it's a good thing I have leftovers from Nicole's house," he grinned. "She asked me if you and I would like leftovers for lunch, so you are in luck, Captain," he said as they walked down the hallway.

"Perfect, I'll have to call Nicole to thank her," she smiled, turning to the break room area. "I guess we are eating here then. What are we having?"

"You are having a barbecue sandwich. Nicole made this new recipe, and she and Dean both liked it a lot. She asked if you would eat it, and I told her you still enjoyed meat," he grinned. "I'm having the rest of the huge salad she made, which I'll even share. There's also some coleslaw, fruit, and part of a loaf of this fancy bread she likes and put in with my leftovers. It's pretty good."

Sharon nodded as they entered the break room. Julio and Mike were seated where they were eating and talking. Both nodded to them, and Andy went straight for the refrigerator to get the food. Sharon started to make tea for both of them while Andy warmed up the barbecue in the microwave and then moved the food to a table to set out for them.

"Mike, Julio," Andy nodded. "You both having leftovers too?"

"I'm not, Sir," Julio nodded. "I've just got a sandwich. Tao there has some Asian dish. Smells good."

"My wife made it," Tao told them, "so, to answer your question about leftovers, yes."

"Sir, that smells good," Julio nodded to Andy's food. "I thought you didn't eat meat."

"I don't," he nodded to it, putting that dish in front of the empty seat where Sharon would sit. "My daughter sent these leftovers." Sharon walked to the table with the mugs of tea. She put one down for each of them and sat down across from Andy. They were two tables away from Julio and Mike.

"Captain, I didn't peg you for a barbecue type," Julio grinned.

Sharon raised her eyebrow, "I live with Rusty, and I raised two more before him. At this point, I eat just about anything. I haven't had Nicole's barbecue yet, but she's an excellent cook, so I have every confidence this will taste delicious."

The four continued to eat and chat. Andy took a bite of the coleslaw and commented on it, "Mmm," he nodded. "I didn't have any of this yesterday at Nic's house because I was full from lunch and had some then, but try this," he gestured toward Sharon. "It's almost as good as the coleslaw from lunch yesterday." Sharon took the container and tried it, nodding her approval.

"That is good. Did she make it?" Sharon asked. Andy shook his head.

"No, she bought it at the store. I'll have to find out where. That would be good some evenings with fish," he added. "It might be better than what we had for lunch yesterday."

"Oh, you two went to lunch yesterday?" Julio piped up, looking to them. "Where? I love a good coleslaw," he grinned to Mike, as if that was the real reason he was asking.

Andy finished chewing his bite of coleslaw and answered, "We went to this place near the beach we like. I'll get you the address after lunch. Great seafood place. Even Rusty likes it."

"Oh, Rusty went too?" Julio asked.

"He did," Sharon nodded and offered nothing further. She continued to eat, and with her tone, they dropped the conversation.

Sharon finished eating and watched Andy. He was still picking at his food. "I should have brought that cheesecake," she said and instantly panicked because Mike and Julio didn't know about the cheesecake. Sharon did know both men liked the dessert.

"I'm sure Rusty found it by now," Andy grumbled. Sharon just nodded, hoping no one asked about the dessert. "I'll check later."

Mike and Julio finished and after a quick clean up, they nodded to both Andy and Sharon, leaving the two alone. Andy met her gaze. "How was your lunch?"

"Good," she smiled. "My day is going well too. I'm not freaking out."

Andy raised his eyebrows, "Well, that's encouraging. So, Captain, you think you can handle this?" he asked as he gestured between the two of them.

"Hmm, it's looking more and more like a possibility," she teased. "We'll see how the rest of the day goes."

"Well, let's not forget that we are on call this week, so you might be tested if we catch a case," he winked to her.

"Andy, you've now just ruined the week saying that," she rolled her eyes. "I'm sure we'll now catch a case, even as we are wrapping up one we shouldn't have had to catch in the first place."

"I know," he held up a hand. "I simply meant that if you can be the master detective during a case while my handsome self is standing near you, then you should be able to handle the two of us dating. I know I'm irresistible when I'm standing next to you at work in the middle of a case," he winked.

"Hmm," she put her finger to her mouth, "during a case, I'm not sure if irresistible is the word I would use. Maybe irrational sometimes with your ideas?" she teased as she grinned at him.

"Fine," he held up his hands in jest. "If you can't admit your boyfriend is irresistible even at work when your mind is working overtime, then maybe you're right, and we shouldn't date," he winked.

Sharon started to laugh as she shook her head at him, "Incorrigible," she shook her head. "That may be a better word for you and your behavior. However," she lowered her voice, "I might confess to finding you irresistible at times."

Andy flashed a smile, "See, you flirt just fine when you aren't even trying."

"I was flirting?" Sharon asked, almost horrified.

Andy leaned in so he was almost whispering, "Oh yeah," he grinned, "and, it's hot. Sharon, you flirt like crazy with me at work, not that I'm complaining. Just relax like this," he gestured, "be yourself. I think we'll be just fine. You said you haven't freaked out, so does that mean you've been relaxed?"

"I have," Sharon nodded as she admitted it. "Seems we might have been a lot more comfortable with each other than I realized."

Andy nodded, "And, as you saw," he gestured to where Mike and Julio had been sitting, "the team doesn't mind at all. In fact, they like us together, even if they think one of us is crazy-which one, I'm not sure," he winked. "Why you would date me is a mystery, and how I could ever fathom dating the very scary Darth Raydor, well," he grinned, "I'm sure that's been questioned many times."

Sharon pursed her lips, "The team really thinks we've been dating awhile don't they?"

Andy rolled his eyes, "Sharon, sources close to the investigation have informed me the team has been betting on this for over a year, so yeah, I think it's safe to say they think we've been dating quite awhile. I'm going to give you more time to make sure this isn't going to be a problem," he gestured between the two of them. "I'm really okay with dating my boss," he grinned. "Seriously, though, I can handle this. I like knowing that at the end of the day, I can spend more time with you. Now, knowing that I can most likely kiss you at the end of each day," he flashed a smile, "icing on the cake. While I'm glad to hear you are doing okay with this so far, I'm not surprised. We're comfortable with each other. We have been for some time. Baby steps, remember?"

"Hmm," she nodded, as she took another sip of her tea. "I like baby steps as long as you are there holding my hand and guiding me forward."


	19. Chapter 19

The rest of the day passed by smoothly, and the team was able to head out early for the evening, which after working their holiday weekend, they were all happy for the extra time. Sharon noted Andy was still at his desk, so she got up and made her way to the door.

"Rusty and I are going to meet for a bite to eat," she told him as she stood in her doorway with her hands clasped in front of her. "Would you like to join us?"

Andy looked up from his desk and smiled to her, "Thanks, but I don't want to interrupt your time with Rusty."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Andy, you aren't interrupting my time with him. He's my son; I see him plenty, probably more than he wants," she chuckled. "I'm inviting you to dinner with both of us, something you have done many times before we discussed things over the weekend. I would like you to come with us, that is, unless you have something else to do."

Andy turned in his chair and stood, now in front of Sharon. He leaned in slightly and said quietly, "In that case, I'd love to come to dinner with you and Rusty. You're right that I've had dinner with the two of you many, many times, and I'm not going to adjust that now."

"Good," Sharon crossed her arms, a smirk on her face. "If I didn't know any better, you were the one there momentarily freaking out."

Andy rolled his eyes and looked away, a small smirk on his own face. He turned back to see the sparkle in Sharon's eyes. He just rolled his, "Okay, maybe I'm a bit gun-shy about freaking out the kid."

Sharon patted his arm, "I told you to give him time. He'll be fine. He didn't notice anything was different yesterday at lunch. You're going to be around even more than you already have been so don't worry about Rusty. He likes you."

Andy noted Sharon had an odd look on her face, "What's the look?" he gestured to her.

"Oh, just wish I had recorded you saying that I was right," she teased as she smiled at him. "I don't get to hear that often."

Andy rolled his eyes, nodded, and then glanced to her office, "So, are you ready to go then? Where and when are we meeting Rusty?"

"Yes, I'm ready. He requested Chinese if that's okay with you."

"Fine by me," Andy nodded. "Let me shut down my computer, and I'll be ready to go."

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves at the restaurant ahead of Rusty. They were lead to their table and sat together. They held hands and studied their menus while they waited. Rusty arrived a few minutes later.

"Sharon, you didn't tell me the lieutenant was joining us," Rusty said as he sat. Both Sharon and Andy looked to him trying to gauge his reaction.

"Hello to you too, Rusty," she flashed a smile. "Is that a problem?" Sharon finally asked.

"No," he shrugged, "fine by me. I just need to rethink my dinner choices. The lieutenant and I like that one dish you hate. I had already planned to not order it because I can't eat it by myself."

"Oh," she nodded as she smiled to Andy. "Well, then I'm glad I brought Andy along to dinner."

Dinner passed by easily. The three had dinner together so often it wasn't odd or uncomfortable. Both Sharon and Andy seemed to relax quickly, and they struck up the same banter at the end of the meal.

"I invited you to dinner tonight," Sharon gave Andy a sharp look, "so I am paying."

Andy rolled his eyes at Sharon and turned to Rusty, "Rusty, your mom is a stubborn one."

Rusty smiled and then started to laugh, "I think you've just met your match. From what I know about you, Lieutenant, you are equally stubborn."

Sharon burst out laughing and smiled to Andy. He turned to her and shrugged, "Takes one to know one, I guess," he mumbled. He raised his hands in defeat, and Sharon paid the dinner bill.

"Rusty are you heading home now?" Sharon asked.

"Yeah, I am heading that way. Are you, or do you have to go back to work?" he asked.

"Heading home," she nodded. "I'm exhausted from the last case we had and would like to get some rest before we start our next case."

"Oh, do you have one already?" Rusty asked.

"No," she frowned as she looked to Andy, "I'm worried Andy jinxed us, though. He talked about the fact we are on call this week and might catch another case."

"What?" Andy asked in defense. "We normally catch a case when on call. That wouldn't be shocking."

"Lately," she flashed a fake smile to him, "we seem to catch cases even when we aren't on call, say when we are supposed to have a day off too."

Andy nodded, "Don't remind me. Are you two all set? I think we need to leave before I get irritated about missing that Dodger game again."

Rusty and Sharon nodded as they smiled to each other. Rusty moved from the table first, and Sharon and Andy held hands as they all moved outside.

"So, I guess I'll see you at home, Sharon?" Rusty asked her when they were all in the parking lot. Rusty had turned to talk to the two of them by the restaurant's door.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'll be right behind you."

"I'm going to walk your mom to her car," he nodded toward his and Sharon's vehicles. "Glad I got to eat with you both."

"Yeah, same, Lieutenant," Rusty nodded, noticing, but not seeming to mind that Sharon and Andy were still holding hands.

"Be safe, Rusty. I'll see you soon," she told him. Rusty waved at the two of them and headed to his car. Andy and Sharon walked slowly to hers, hand in hand while they talked.

"See, Rusty is doing just fine, Andy. He was even glad you came so you two could split that one dish," Sharon smiled as she bumped her shoulder with his.

"Yeah, it's not so bad now. I just worry when he sees me around the condo more, you know, like in the evenings. He'll flip when he sees me kiss you," Andy grinned as they reached Sharon's car. She turned so she was against her car and looking at him.

She shrugged, "He probably will, and then we'll get chastised for it too. He'll most likely throw irritating comments to us about it being gross and disgusting, and he'll disappear to his room where he'll text his siblings about it all evening."

Andy nodded as he closed his eyes and chuckled, "That sounds like Rusty. I can hear the groaning and complaining now. You forgot to add that he'll probably comment that we've scarred him for life or ruined his life."

Sharon laughed as she used her free hand to mess with Andy's tie and shirt. He glanced down and just shook his head. Sharon looked up and met his eyes. While still looking at him, she said quietly, "Well, I for one, do not think kissing you is gross or disgusting."

"Oh, really?" Andy teased as he leaned in further. "I know you were worried about that, not exactly it being gross or disgusting," he teased, "but that it wouldn't feel natural, that it would feel forced, that our friendship would be strained. So, I take it that so far, you're okay with my kissing you?"

Sharon blushed as she smiled to him. Her one hand was still in his while the other smoothed down his tie again, "I'm most definitely okay with it."

"Good," Andy smiled and leaned in even more to kiss her. The two stood in the parking lot and kissed, respectably, for a minute before Andy broke from her and pulled back.

"I think we've probably given everyone here quite a show," he said softly. Sharon chuckled and nodded.

"Hmm, good thing Rusty parked on the other side of the building," she teased. "I should go. I do want to get some sleep."

"Same here," he nodded. "When I have tried to sleep these last couple of days, I've been very happy, too excited to sleep."

"Hmm, anything in particular?" Sharon asked, a sparkle in her eye.

"Thoughts of a lovely lady," he winked. "You're worried about dating and working together. I'm worried about dating and getting any sleep," he chuckled. "I can't stop thinking about you, Sharon."

"Hmm, if I told you that was mutual, I hope you wouldn't be surprised," she smiled.

"Good," he squeezed her hand. "Be safe going home." He leaned in and kissed her sweetly, quickly, and pulled back.

She unlocked her car and turned to get in it, "You too, Andy. Sweet dreams," she smiled as she leaned up and kissed him quickly. She winked at him and closed her door. He shook his head chuckling at her.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said.

"I'll text you before I go to bed," she told him. "Bye."

Andy watched her leave and then started toward his own house. He was tired and needed to get some sleep. Even thought he had just left Sharon, he couldn't wait to talk to her before she went to bed. The call didn't happen, though, at least not in the way he'd hoped. Oh, he spoke to Sharon just a few hours later, but it was to tell her about their newest case, one that was sure to be a mess. He called her as he was on his way to the hospital, following the ambulance, which was carrying an older gentleman who appeared to be a bystander in a drive-by gang shooting. It seemed his new relationship status with Sharon was about to be put to a new test-working a case with his boss who was now, finally, his girlfriend.


	20. Chapter 20

**I've rewatched this episode several times and decided to add a bit of humor from Morales. As Andy and Provenza are talking in electronics, Provenza comments that while Andy was in the morgue, the team was working on solving the case. Since we didn't see a morgue scene with this case, I decided to write one, looping a major detail in as well. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Captain Raydor," she said sleepily as she grabbed for her glasses and sat up in bed. It wasn't even that late, which was the problem. That meant she hadn't slept long. According to her clock, it was only 10:30, and her phone had awakened her from a deep sleep. She'd done what she'd told Andy; she'd gone home and gone to bed. She had sent him a text, not long after she arrived home even, telling Andy that she was exhausted and would talk to him in the morning. As she now glanced at her phone, she saw that he hadn't even made it a couple of hours since last speaking to her.

"Andy," she cleared her voice and spoke again. She pulled the phone back and saw the call hadn't been dropped. She was now worried something was wrong.

"Sharon, hi, sorry about that. My hands-free device wasn't connecting. We caught a case. Yeah, don't start," he sighed. "I realize I'm bad luck and jinxed us."

Sharon groaned as she rubbed her forehead and moved to fully sit up on the side of the bed. She needed to wake up and be alert enough to get the details from Andy.

"Here I was just hopeful you couldn't sleep because you were thinking about me," she said as she yawned. "Sorry," she chuckled about her yawn. "Okay, what do we have?"

Andy went through the details of the case, noting that he was following the one victim to the hospital, hoping to get any information he could. He also told her that Mike was currently at the scene, as Provenza had not arrived yet when he spoke to Mike.

"This sounds like a gang war mess, Sharon," he told her as he drove. "Julio was going to see what he could find out from his contacts. I think the old guy was probably an innocent bystander. I'll let you know more when I get any more information either from him or about his condition."

"Okay," she said as she stood up out of bed. "Thank you for calling. I'll go ahead and start to get ready. I'll meet everyone at the office."

"Would there be any possibility of you bringing me a cup of coffee, real coffee?" he asked sweetly. "I could really use it."

Sharon let out a laugh as she nodded, "Yes, I'll bring you coffee, but only because you asked so nicely."

"My captain is the best," he teased. Sharon chuckled again at Andy.

"Be safe at the hospital. If this is a gang war, the last thing we need is some shoot up at the hospital," she told him.

"I will. You be safe yourself, driving around LA in the middle of the night," he told her. "

"I will. Bye Andy. I'll see you at work," she said and hung up.

Sharon arrived to work just after midnight, doing as she promised by arriving with coffee. She hadn't just brought Andy coffee either. A case at this time of night called for coffee for everyone; it was going to be a late night and probably a long day. It already was a late night; it could get worse before it got better if it was a gang war. She'd stopped in at the all-night coffee shop located near the police station to get coffee for the team. It wasn't the best coffee in town, but it was better than most anything they would find in the building. When she arrived, she found most of the team assembled, the one person missing was the person she was missing the most, Andy. He was apparently on his way over from the hospital, and she was set to meet him in the morgue when he arrived. Before that, though, she got the case details from the rest of the team. While they started working the different angles, she went off in search of Andy in the morgue.

"Your coffee," she nodded to him as she produced it in the hallway outside of the morgue. Andy was putting on his gown when Sharon walked up to him.

"Hey," he flashed his bright smile at her. "I never thought I'd say I'm really glad to see you at the morgue."

Sharon chuckled as she rolled her eyes to Andy, "You need to work on your pick-up lines."

He shrugged, "It seemed to work. Thanks for the coffee," he nodded as he sipped it. "Mmm, perfect. I really appreciate it. I couldn't stomach a cup from the hospital."

Sharon nodded as she started to put on her gown for the morgue. Andy offered her a sip of coffee, and she accepted. "Thank you. I left my cup on my desk. If you're nice, I'll share it later as repayment for sharing yours now."

"Nice? I'm always nice," he flashed another grin. "Here, I'll tie you up," he gestured to her gown, and she started laughing again.

"Wow, you are on a roll tonight," she sighed.

"Ahh, if it isn't my favorite captain with her favorite lieutenant tonight," Morales smiled as he came out into the hallway. "If you tell anyone I called you my favorite captain, I'll deny it," he chuckled, pointing at Sharon. "Lieutenant, try denying you are her favorite; no one would believe you," he laughed again before he continued. "I thought I heard voices out here, but I have to check now and then because well," he shrugged, "if I start hearing voices, it may be time for me to retire. That, or the corpses aren't really dead." He burst out laughing at his own joke, and Sharon and Andy just glanced to each other with odd expressions.

"There must be something in the air tonight," Sharon nodded to both men, "perhaps, a full moon?"

"Sorry, I'm not following," Morales said to Sharon.

"Both you and Andy are really on a roll with your jokes this evening. I'm not sure if it's healthy or extremely sickening we are standing in the morgue with you two laughing it up," she stated. Andy looked to her and back to Morales, shaking his own head.

"She's just jealous she didn't think of a good joke," Andy hooked his hand behind him to Sharon as he spoke to Morales. Sharon scoffed at Andy, and both looked to Morales.

"Doctor, are you ready for us?" she asked.

"I'm not done with everything, but we can do a preliminary. Come on in," he gestured. "I've already had three cups of coffee, so I'm ready to get to work," he commented. "Lieutenant, I see you had the same idea on the coffee."

"Yeah, Sharon picked it up. I couldn't drink another cup from the hospital," he groaned.

"I understand that. Most people won't accept a cup of the coffee from here in the morgue," he chuckled again. "Gosh, I might have had too much caffeine already tonight. What an unlucky night for these folks," he gestured to the bodies. "I guess that teaches me to complain about a boring evening cleaning my bathrooms. At least I'm still alive," he smiled to the two. Sharon and Andy were both rather perplexed by Morales' odd behavior. "So, what were you two up to before murder so rudely interrupted the evening?"

"Sleeping," Andy nodded, as he had another sip of coffee. He offered it to Sharon then, and she accepted the cup, unaware Morales was watching their every move. "Oh, not together!" Andy exclaimed, holding up his hands as if to get attention. He coughed on the coffee he was trying to swallow as his words, and their possible meanings, registered with him.

Sharon's face turned red, and she tried to hide behind the cup of coffee. Morales just smiled at the two and nodded, "I see," he said.

"I think what Andy was trying to say is that we went to dinner with Rusty earlier this evening, and because of the case we had over the weekend, we were both exhausted from little sleep already. I'm afraid we were both quite dull this evening and had retired to our respective homes earlier for much needed sleep," Sharon explained.

"Which was not together," Andy enunciated once again. Sharon turned and glared at him. Both heard Morales start to laugh.

"Oh, the stuff I hear in the morgue," he nodded. "If these walls, or bodies, could talk," he winked to the two of them. "Don't' worry; I may not be a detective, but I know you two. Something has changed, even if it's not the sleeping arrangements," he smirked. He pointed to Sharon, "You let him call you Sharon tonight at work. As you started to explain, you dropped the tidbit you two were out to dinner earlier. You also are sharing that cup of coffee, and you turned red at his sleeping comment. You," he pointed to Andy, "feel comfortable enough to call her Sharon at work. You also felt the need to clarify your sleeping comment, which means that yes, it's exactly as you said it, but you felt the need to clarify it because while that isn't going on, something else is. Now, I won't ask anything more, but be aware that I am very good with clues myself."

Sharon cleared her voice, "Doctor, can we just start over here and get to the case?" She desperately wanted to turn and glare at Andy who was chuckling quietly to himself, but she kept a straight face as she spoke to Morales.

"Very good then," he bounced around the room, his three cups of coffee very evident. "Now, where were we?"

It took Morales 20 minutes to go over his initial findings, and as soon as he was done, Sharon and Andy excused themselves to get back. Neither had a chance to talk, as Sharon's phone rang. Because cell service could be spotty around the morgue, she waved to Andy, handed him her gown, and started toward the elevators to get better service.

"Ahh, lieutenant," Andy heard and turned back to Morales. "Where's the captain?" he asked looking for Sharon.

"She left when she got a phone call. Why? Need something?" he asked.

"Only to tell you something," he said. "I was hoping to catch you alone. So, while I was teasing you both earlier, I did want to point out something to you."

"Oh?" Andy asked, as he finished hanging up both his and Sharon's gowns. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure if you are looking for a nice place to take the captain, but might I suggest a new restaurant?" he asked.

Andy eyed him, "Is this some kind of trap?"

"No, no," Morales held up his hands. "Look, in all honestly, I really like both of you. Yes, I was teasing earlier, but I wasn't off base, I believe, when I pointed out things I've noticed. So, are you interested in this new restaurant?"

Andy pursed his lips, trying to decide if there was an ulterior motive, "Okay, I'm listening. This had better not be some trap."

"No trap," Morales nodded. "Look, I do a pretty good job keeping to myself down here. I let all of you come in with your sidebar conversations. I listen, but most of the time, tonight excluded," he smiled, "I don't comment. I've listened to you and the captain chat for the last few years about many topics-Rusty, the Stroh mess, your daughter getting married, the captain's loser of an ex-husband, so really, whatever is going on, I'm rooting for you," he said as he patted Andy on the shoulder. "From what I know about the captain, I think she'd love this new restaurant. It's called Serve. Look it up," he gestured to Andy's phone. "It's not far from here and is very romantic-love is in the air," he grinned and winked, "that kind of place." A friend of mine manages Serve. I'm not trying to send you there because of that; I just thought of all the people I knew, you two would enjoy it. If you ever want a reservation, I'll be glad to have my friend take care of you. He has a lot of respect for the LAPD, which will could probably land you the best table in the place."

Andy listened and nodded, "Serve, you say?"

"That's it," Morales nodded. "Quiet, romantic, classy, and great views of the city."

"Thanks, Doc," Andy patted him on the shoulder. "I just may talk you up on that offer for a reservation. Let me get back to you. What kind of notice do you need?"

"For you," Morales made a face, "a day or so. My friend knows I will only send the best customers his way, and as I said, he's got a soft spot for the LAPD."

"Good to know," Andy grinned, "not that I'm admitting to anything with the captain."

"Of course, not, Lieutenant," Morales smiled. "Just know that if you ever come in here with lipstick visible, I'm going to point it out."

"Fair enough, Morales," Andy chuckled. "I'd better get back to work."


	21. Chapter 21

**Most of the story has had Sharon's thoughts in the forefront. I wanted to put in Andy's thoughts and conversations here. I felt like the story left room for a lot of side conversations. These characters aren't mine, but I'm just borrowing them and did work in some of the verbiage from conversations on the show.**

* * *

Andy received a text from Sharon as he was leaving the morgue. She apologized for leaving so quickly, but explained she had been asked to come by the DA's office to attend to another matter. Her text told Andy she expected to return to work within the hour. He replied, telling her he would catch up with her when she returned.

When Andy arrived in the office, he found the team had gone for food. It was now several hours into the case, and everyone was hungry. He decided to do the same, and he sent Sharon a text asking if she wanted anything. She told Andy to eat without her, and she'd grab something on her way back to the office. Andy looked for the team, and when he didn't find them, he walked across the street for some food. When he had finished eating, he made his way back to the office and went in search of Provenza.

He found himself catching up with Provenza in electronics; the two hadn't seen each other since they'd caught this particular case.

"I see you finally decided to join us," Andy told Provenza when he walked in. "I can't remember the last time I beat you to a crime scene. Nice of you to show up," he stated.

Provenza rolled his eyes when he looked to Andy, "For your information, not that it is any of yours, I was with Patrice. We were taking care of some very important business. And, while you've been at the hospital and the morgue, we've been trying to solve this case. The team is back, and we've got our first contestant almost ready in the interview room now."

Andy's eyes shot up to meet Provenza, "Did you ask her to marry you?" He ignored Provenza's comments about the case; the case could wait. He needed to get to the bottom of Provenza's business.

"No! I'm not that stupid," Provenza grumbled.

"Oh, finally learning your lesson after countless times," Andy chuckled. "I won't even comment on the number of other ladies you've told me you love over the years."

"I'm trying a different approach this time," Provenza nodded. "She's moving in with me."

"Patrice agreed to move in with you?" Andy asked as he looked to Provenza as he shook his head. "I really want to know what ladies see in you. I don't get it."

"Oh, shut it, Flynn! Yes, she's moving in with me. She even told me she loves me, and well," he gestured, "I told her the same.""

"Wow, the next Mrs. Provenza," Andy chuckled.

"She's not the next Mrs. Provenza, at least not yet. We're going to try this out and see how we like living together. I figure it could save me thousands in legal fees if it doesn't work out. I do learn something from my divorces. At least I'm trying, you idiot! I'm not sulking around here like a lost puppy chasing after something I can't get."

"For your information, I'm asking Sharon on a real date, not a family outing or anything like that," Andy told him. "We'll see what she says."

"Okay," Provenza noted as he continued to look at his paperwork, obviously unimpressed.

"Okay?" Andy repeated and started in on Provenza, complaining he had no other comment. Andy couldn't get any further because the team started to file in, and he noted Sharon had returned as well. The case continued throughout the morning, and things got very busy. Before any of them realized, it was mid-afternoon, and they appeared to be wrapping things up. Andy was ready to ask Sharon to Serve, the new restaurant Morales had told him about. He was excited about it, so much so, he could barely contain himself. Sharon was briefing Taylor, and he hoped that when she finished, he could ask her. He wanted to wait until the case was done, but he couldn't stand it anymore. He was ready, beyond ready to ask her out, officially. They'd worked through the case just fine, something he was sure she would see as well. While he waited for Sharon and Provenza to finish with Taylor, he called Morales to get him that reservation.

"Hey, Doc, it's Flynn," he told Morales.

"Lieutenant, hi, I don't have a final report yet. It will still be awhile," Morales told him.

"Oh, no, that's fine," Andy nodded as he paced the hallway. "I'm calling on a different matter."

"Let me guess-the restaurant?" Morales teased.

"Ahh, yeah, well, about that," Andy stammered.

"Lieutenant, when would you like the reservation?" he asked.

"Well, let's see. It's probably crazy to ask for a Friday night. That's too predictable too. Let's go for Thursday evening. That's a couple days away. Do you think your friend could make that happen?" he asked. "I normally have AA that night, but I'll adjust for this week. I can catch another meeting." Andy was nervous and volunteering more information than he needed, but he really wanted to take Sharon on a date soon.

"Yes, I'm sure he can make that happen. What time? Say 7:00? I'm guessing you're going to go after work?" Morales asked.

"Yeah, that should work. If the time is a problem, just let me know when he could get us in for dinner. Thanks, Morales. I really appreciate it. I took a few minutes to look up the place. Looks nice, like a perfect dinner spot."

"I'm sure you'll love it, the captain too. Treat her well, Lieutenant," Morales said. "I'm going to get back to work, but I'll shoot my friend a text about your dinner plans. Wait," he chuckled, "don't take that literally. I'm not going to shoot my friend. Gosh, I need to watch language."

"Ahh, okay," Andy shook his head, still a bit flustered by Morales and his odd behavior, "thanks, again, Doc. I'll let you know how we like the place."

So, now as Andy waited, he paced the hallway. He had a reservation secured for a romantic restaurant later in the week. He just needed to get Sharon to agree that they could really do this, date and work together. He looked up when he heard movement down the hallway.

"Don't ask her out now," was all he heard from Provenza. He wanted to argue more with him, but Sharon started spouting off instructions. He nodded to her and looked to Provenza, not even remembering what he exactly said to him. Provenza nodded for Andy to follow him, and the two made their way to electronics, which was fortunately, empty.

"This case isn't over, Flynn," Provenza told him. "Sykes has a witness, sounds like some young girl. We have to bring in some other character. Hazzard, I think, although, not the Dukes of Hazzard.

"So, what's this known associate report Sharon needs?" he asked.

"Don't call her that!" Provenza exclaimed. "Twizz is good for the taco murders, but apparently not this one. She needs you to work the background on our taco murderer guy, and we're trying to figure out a way to not use Sykes' witness."

"Okay," Andy sighed as he shook his head. "I'll get to work."

The team worked until late in the afternoon, when they were told to go home and get some sleep. They'd worked until they were all about to fall asleep, and now, they were awaiting a warrant. Andy had put in the paperwork on that, but they were now at a standstill until they got their warrant.

"Everyone, go home. Get some sleep. We'll pick up at 8:30 here tomorrow morning. Hopefully, we will have our warrant by then and can proceed," she instructed. No one argued, and people moved quickly to get home.

Andy followed Sharon back into her office. She smiled at him as she shook her head. "Oh, I'm so exhausted," she sighed.

"Same," he nodded. "Are you going to be okay to drive home?"

"Yes, you?" she asked.

"I will. I'm not hungry, but if you are, I'll be glad to go eat with you," he offered.

She gave a soft smile, "Thank you for the offer, but I'm not hungry either. I hope you don't mind that I just want to go home and crawl into bed."

"I'm with you," he nodded, and then he instantly corrected himself, "to my own bed," he added. Sharon looked up and shook her head while she chuckled.

"Andy, I understood. Walk me out?" she asked. Andy nodded and moved back to his desk to switch off his computer and collect his things. They didn't say much as they waited for the elevator and made their way to the parking garage.

"Be careful going home," they almost said in unison when they reached Sharon's car. They smiled at their shared thoughts. Sharon unlocked her car and put her things in. Andy held her door while she slipped into the driver's seat. Andy leaned in further.

"I'll text you when I get home. I hope you get some rest," he nodded to her. Sharon nodded back and took a quick look around the parking garage. Seeing no one, she leaned in closer to Andy's face and kissed him quickly.

"Sweet dreams, Andy. I'll see you tomorrow," she told him.

Surprisingly, Andy did sleep well, even though he thought he would be too excited to sleep. As he got ready for work the next morning, he repeated to himself over and over that he was not going to end the day without asking Sharon on a date, a romantic date. Morales had sent him a late text he'd missed because he was asleep that said the reservation was set for 7:00 on Thursday evening. So, now he had a place, a time, but he just needed the girl. As he thought about the girl, he decided to give her a quick call.

"Morning," he said when she answered. "Before you ask, this isn't a work call. I wanted to see if you got some sleep."

"Good morning to you," she replied. He could tell it sounded like she was happy to hear from him. "Yes, I did get some sleep. I'm just finishing my hair now, and then I'll be ready to head to the office. Did you get some sleep?"

"I did," he told her. "I feel a lot more rested, but I have to admit that I'm still exhausted. My age is starting to catch up with me."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded to herself, "I feel the same way when I put on my makeup each morning. There will be a day no amount of makeup will be able to help."

Andy chuckled, "Well, I know that's not true at all. You're gorgeous with or without makeup."

"Now, you're just trying to flirt with me," Sharon teased.

"Is it working?" he chuckled. "You know I love your no makeup look. I've told you that before, not that you don't look gorgeous all done up as well."

"Thank you, Andy," she simply said. She could tell Andy was starting to get flustered in the conversation.

"So, what color are you wearing today? I just finished shaving and haven't put on my dress shirt yet," he explained.

"Ahh, yellow, light yellow, or even a beige color," she told him. "It's not like a school bus yellow, maybe much more light cream or yellow. That's my jacket. I'm wearing a black suit."

"Yellow, huh?" he said as he moved to his closet. "It just so happens I have a yellow shirt and tie, not of the school bus yellow, as you said, and I have on black suit pants already."

Sharon chuckled, "I don't know why you love to irritate Provenza so much, but I have to admit it is fun to coordinate colors."

"Oh, he comments on it all the time," Andy chuckled as he finished getting himself ready. "I love to coordinate with you, and I love to irritate Provenza. Win, win," he told her. "Okay, I'm going to get off the phone to get out of here myself. Can't be late. The boss would be mad at me all day."

"See you soon, Andy," she said and hung up.

Their case progressed quickly throughout the morning. After the team gathered and went over the latest on the case, their warrant came through. Sharon sent the team out to execute the plan with the warrant, the plan to pick up Big Hazzard and do the drive-by of Twizz's house. Sharon remained at the office, while Andy and Provenza waited at the second location.

"So, let's get back to Patrice. When is she moving in with you?" Andy asked as they waited outside. They were hoping the plan would work and expecting Amy to drive by any minute with their newest suspect.

"Over the weekend," Provenza told Andy. "I turned in my leave paperwork yesterday to the captain. I asked her for Friday and the weekend off so I can get Patrice moved in. We'll deal with moving any of my things after we get her into my place. She wants to consolidate all of our things."

"Well, that's what most people do when they join forces, Provenza, so not a bad idea," Andy told him.

"I'm not straining my back moving around anything of mine she wants to get rid of. I wonder what crews like this one cost to move your things," he grumbled.

"Probably more than you want to pay. Why don't you just hire a couple of guys to do it?" he asked.

"That's not a bad idea, Flynn," Provenza turned to Andy as he pointed at him. "I wonder if Rusty would do."

"He might. He's working that Alice story now, but otherwise, he's not too busy. He's done with summer school right now," Andy explained.

"You seem to know an awful lot about Rusty's movements and interests, Flynn," Provenza pointed out. "Just how much time are you spending with him?"

"Enough," Andy pursed his lips. "Look, it's no secret I want more with Sharon. Rusty is part of that, quite honestly, the part that freaks me out. I don't want to freak out Rusty to have it freak out Sharon."

"Why would you freak out Rusty, Flynn? He knows you," Provenza asked.

"It's no secret Rusty grew up with a crappy mom who paraded men in and out of his life. I don't want him to think that about me with Sharon," he said.

"Oh, Flynn, stop worrying so much. Rusty knows you, and he knows the captain. He won't be a problem. If that's what has you dragging your feet," he sighed.

"I'm not dragging my feet! I tried to ask her all day yesterday. I even have a dinner reservation," he told him.

Provenza's eyes flashed to Andy, "So, it's really going to happen, after all this time? Flynn, why is this such a big deal? We all have watched you two together for a couple of years now. You're together; we get it, down to even matching your dumb clothes everyday, which is so cozy, it makes me want to vomit!"

"It's a big deal because we are finally on the same page. Sharon wants what I want, at least I think she does!" he exclaimed. Noise on their radio alerted them that the suspect had been apprehended, so they dropped any further conversation to get back to work.

By the time the two were back in the car and on their way back to the office, Provenza picked up the conversation, "So, Rusty-you think he'll be able to move my stuff if I pay him $50?"

"No!" Andy exclaimed. "In fact, I'll personally tell him to reject that offer. Provenza, cough up the cash. It's Rusty, and knowing your house, he's going to have his work cut out for him."

"Fine," Provenza waved. "Just don't tell him I'd pay him more than $200. I don't know what you are worried about with him, Flynn. You're sticking up for him like any parent would."

"Yeah, well, the kid deserves to have some normalcy in his life," Andy said.

"So, this date," Provenza inquired, "when is it happening?"

"Hopefully Thursday," Andy said.

"Oh good, then I won't have to hear about it on Friday or watch you mope around if things blow up in your face," Provenza let out a sigh of relief. "I'll be with Patrice doing much more interesting things."

"Not to worry, Provenza because I'm not telling you anything. You're the worst friend. You have been rooting against this forever. Last thing I need is to come to work and watch you gloat if it doesn't work out well, which she could still take a step back and tell me it's not happening."

"You think she will?" he asked.

"With Sharon, it's a possibility. It depends on if she can get out of her own head," he told him. "I'm not going to know unless I try, and it's finally time, though."

The two arrived back to work, and the case fell into place as the day went along. Andy hadn't been able to eat because he was so nervous about asking Sharon out on this official date. He hoped she would be ready; they had made it through a case without their personal relationship being an issue.

When Rusty interrupted his attempt to talk to Sharon in electronics, he about lost it. He had to take a quick walk up and down the hall to keep his cool, not that it was completely Rusty's fault. Rusty had no idea Andy was about to ask Sharon back to her office to ask her out, but Rusty did seem to have the worst timing. Andy paced in the hall for a few minutes, working though things in his head. He came up with his plan, to wait for Sharon to leave, and then he would ask. Knowing Sharon, she would be the last to leave, and it wouldn't be odd for him to wait for her. He'd ask her then.

An hour later, Andy finally had his answer, "Fine." He repeated the words over and over in his head, still unsure if Sharon was completely on board with this dinner idea. He'd asked her out, finally, in the middle of the office, and she'd said fine. While Andy had hoped he could jump for joy after asking Sharon on a date, he now wasn't so sure. Fine. Did that mean, 'Fine, I'll reluctantly go with you?' Did it mean, 'Fine, I'll end things at dinner?' Did it mean, 'Fine, I'm so flustered I don't know what to say?' Andy wasn't sure, but he was sure that Sharon and Andrea were discussing every detail right now.

As Andy stood and went over the conversation in his head, he decided that once and for all, he'd get to the bottom of everything tomorrow night at dinner. Tonight, he needed to get out of the office before Sharon returned and ended things right then.

"Hey, Rusty," he said a moment later when he regained his composure and opened Sharon's office door to address Rusty.

"Hey, Lieutenant. Sharon's not here, but you probably know that since I just saw you talking to her," Rusty said from his seat.

"Yeah, I know," he nodded. "She's with Hobbs right now. Listen, I just wanted you to pass along a message. I'm going to cut out of here tonight. I'm going to a meeting, and I just wanted to let your mom know."

"Sure, I'll tell her," Rusty nodded. "Wait, are you okay? It's Wednesday. Don't you usually go to meetings on Thursdays?"

"Fine," Andy smiled at Rusty's concerned state. "Change of plans-I'm busy tomorrow, so I'm going to catch a meeting tonight. It happens sometimes, especially with work. I don't know how long your mom is going to be with Hobbs, so I wanted to let her know I didn't just ditch her. Usually, if she's the last one here, I walk her out."

"Oh, okay. Cool," Rusty told him. "I'll walk her out. We're going to get some dinner. Oh, hey, did you know Provenza is moving Patrice in with him?"

Andy relaxed in the doorway and chuckled. He nodded as he placed one hand on the doorknob. "Yeah, he told me about that. He was complaining about hiring movers, about how expensive it will be to move out some of his things. I hope you don't mind, but I suggested he ask you."

"You did?" Rusty looked at him with a pleasant expression. "Thanks, I mean, I guess. I haven't seen the job, so I might be mad you suggested me for it later."

"Fair enough," Andy nodded as he chuckled. "Please tell me he's going to pay you $200 for the work."

"Yeah, he is," Rusty nodded. "Why?"

"It's Provenza," Andy shrugged.

Rusty chuckled as he thought about the comment, "Let me guess that he wanted to pay me a lot less?"

"$50 bucks," Andy nodded. "So, you're welcome."

"Thanks, Lieutenant," Rusty grinned. "I'll tell Sharon you went to your meeting."

"Thanks, Rusty," Andy nodded. He could tell he was feeling better about the situation, even if he didn't have more clarity on it. "Tell Sharon she can call me later if she wants."

"Okay, night," Rusty told him.

"Enjoy your burgers," Andy added.

Rusty's expression turned to surprise, "Wait, we didn't talk about burgers."

Andy rolled his eyes, "Rusty, I know you. Don't forget that, and I know Sharon. She'll take you for burgers because you love burgers, and Sharon loves you."

Rusty flashed a grin at Andy, "She's pretty great."

"That she is," Andy nodded. "Night."


	22. Chapter 22

Fine. She'd said fine when her best friend and really, if she was defining things, her now boyfriend, asked her out on a romantic date. To be exact, this was to be their first official romantic date. Andy had waited until they'd finished their first case as a defined couple before asking her. He'd waited to make sure they could handle things-personal and work. They had handled it just fine, and in fact, if Sharon had to admit it, they seemed to be working together better than ever. The nervousness was gone, albeit it was replaced with anticipation, giddiness, and excitement. Regardless of the feelings, the two had navigated work and personal well. It could be done. Now, it didn't mean it was always going to be easy. Sure, they would argue, disagree, even maybe yell at times as cases came up. That was bound to happen, but to know at the end of the day, at the end of a case, she could go to him, her Andy, that excited Sharon. Now that they had talked about moving forward together as a couple, she didn't want to turn back. She wanted to date Andy, romantic dates and all. He needed to know that; he needed to know it was more than just "fine" with her to go to a romantic restaurant.

Andy probably was ready to call off everything after her answer of fine. Sharon knew she'd probably want to strangle Andy if the roles were reversed. She tried putting herself in his shoes; she knew he had been waiting patiently for her for months, really years, and finally, he'd asked. She'd answered 'fine.'

Sharon checked her watch. It was getting late, but she was determined to wait. The street was quiet; it usually was in the neighborhood. Off in the distance, she could hear cars and other city noises, but here, it was peaceful and calm. The summer night air was still warm, but if she had to wait much longer, she'd have to see if she had a sweater in her car. For now, she was content. She'd wait, no matter how long it took.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait much longer. Andy pulled into his driveway, alongside her car another 10 minutes later. Sharon decided to stay seated on his porch steps and let Andy have a moment. She was sure he was surprised to find her waiting for him at his house.

"Hi," he said quietly to her as he walked up his sidewalk. He had his hands in his pockets and his suit jacket over his arm. His tie was hanging loosely around his neck. "Have you been here long?"

Sharon pursed her lips, "I'd like to give the polite response and tell you that no, I just got here, but," she paused and shrugged.

Andy let out a long sign and nodded. He walked up and sat down next to Sharon, the streetlight illuminating them, but otherwise, it was dark. "Sorry you were kept waiting. You know you could have gone inside. I assume you still have your key."

Sharon nodded, "I know. Thank you. I decided to wait outside. It's a beautiful night, and the fresh air has done me some good."

"Knowing I don't just live around the corner from you, I'm assuming you came here to talk. Just go ahead and say it. I think I know what you've talked yourself out of by now," he shook his head as he looked away.

"Andy," Sharon said softly and took his hand in hers. She tugged on it to get him to look at her, "You say you know me so well, but you're off on this."

"I thought we were on the same page! I thought we were moving forward, baby steps, as we keep saying. We agreed to talk about this more once we'd given it a few days, a case to test the waters. I did that, Sharon, and I thought we were going to once again move forward," he rambled.

"Are you done?' she asked, still holding his hand.

At that, Andy's head snapped to hers. It wasn't what he'd expected to hear. "Ahh, yeah, I'm sorry, Sharon. Can we start over? I'm an idiot.""

Sharon hummed almost in agreement as she nodded. He waited, and then Sharon started to speak again, "I drove all the way here tonight to apologize for my wording."

"Your wording?" he asked, now confused.

"Fine?" she teased as her eyes met his. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Andy, I am so sorry."

He shook his head as he started to chuckle. He hung his head as he tried to think through everything, "Sharon, it's okay, really."

"No, it's not! Andy, I can only imagine how long you have wanted to ask me to dinner, not just dinner because you have done that hundreds of times, but to ask me out on a date, our first real romantic date, and I gave you an answer of fine. Andy, all I can say is you obviously caught me off guard, even though we've discussed this, and I should have given you a much more suitable answer."

Andy squeezed her hand; they hadn't let go of each other's hands. He lifted it and kissed her hand as he turned to her.

"Sharon, at the end of the day, you still agreed to a romantic dinner date. Let's just move forward and laugh about this," he smiled.

Sharon sighed, "You won't let me live this down, will you?"

"Never," he smiled as he pulled his hand out of her grip and put it around her back, pulling her closer to him. Sharon reached up and squeezed his hand that was now resting on her shoulder. "I have to say that in all the women I've ever asked out on a date, that was the worst response I have gotten. Even women who have turned me down have done a better job than fine. At least those answers were definitive. Fine had me wondering if you were going out with me for a sympathy date to turn me down easily.

Sharon let out a slight laugh as she covered her mouth, "I'm so sorry. I hate I bruised your ego too."

Andy shrugged, "I can take it. I'm a big boy. If that's the worst that comes of this, I'm more than okay. Truthfully, I'd be a very happy man if it's the last first date I ever have to ask anyone to go on with me."

Sharon hummed as Andy rubbed her shoulder where his hand was resting. "Obviously, I don't do well with flirting when I try, so it might be best if after this one, I don't go on any more first dates myself."

Andy chuckled as he kissed her head. "I think that sounds like a good plan for both of us, sticking together because we are a mess apart."

"Agreed," Sharon said quietly while they sat. "Andy, I am very excited about our date. I want you to know that. I also want you to know you don't need to do anything special or out of the ordinary for me. I'd be happy eating a burger and fries on a first date with you. However," she frowned, "I guess I wouldn't be on a first date with you eating a burger and fries," she let out a laugh. "I'd be happy having a veggie burger with you. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture."

Andy let out a low laugh, and he pulled Sharon even closer, kissing her head again. "Sharon, you are worth all the grand gestures in the world, and if I have to spend the rest of my life showing you that, I will. I know you, and I know you don't expect anything, which is why I want to give you everything. I'd really like to take you to this nice restaurant tomorrow evening, but if you are too worked up or unsure, we don't have to go there at all."

"No," Sharon turned and smiled at Andy. "I'd love to go there with you. I just wanted you to know that it's not about the grand gestures with me. It's about being with you, spending time with you. Andy, I care very much about you, fancy restaurant or not."

"Sharon, I want to give you the world," Andy smiled to her. "I'm glad you aren't running away. I have to admit, my heart dropped when I pulled into the driveway. I was afraid this was it."

"It's not," she turned and leaned in to kiss him sweetly. She smiled at him when their eyes met. She pulled back, "I guess now I just need some information, Lieutenant. I'm a detective, so I need to get to the bottom of this. We never discussed a time or really any of the details for dinner. I can't blame you, though," she shrugged, "when your date answers so nonchalantly."

Andy grinned and nodded, "That is true. I hope Rusty told you I had gone to my meeting. I changed nights since we have our big date tomorrow."

"He did," she nodded, "and, then we went for burgers."

He laughed, "I told Rusty you had a soft spot and would take him for burgers. No burgers tomorrow, promise."

"I'd still go on that date with you even if you got me fast food," she grinned. "I was worried when I got here, and you weren't home. I know how long your meeting usually lasts."

He nodded, "I stayed for two meetings, and then I drove around a little. I wanted to do a little recon. I may have driven by the restaurant just to make sure it was what I'd heard."

"Ahh, I see," she nodded. "So, this isn't somewhere you have been?"

Andy glanced to her like she was crazy, "Just who would I have taken there, Sharon?" he winked. "Provenza?" Sharon let out another laugh as she nodded at the absurdity of the statement. It was quite for a moment before Andy continued, "Morales is the one who suggested the restaurant."

Sharon pulled back to look at him, the shocked look very evident on her face, "You booked our first date on the recommendation of the coroner?"

Andy started to laugh now too and nodded, "Well, he promises it's a very romantic place and even told me he had us in mind when he thought of people to recommend it to. He pulled me aside when we were at the morgue the other day and told me to treat you well. He's very intuitive himself."

Sharon hummed as she chuckled to herself. "Well, I'm very excited about this date. Am I going to get any details?"

Andy shrugged, "I'm keeping it low key. I thought we could go from work, partly because it's nearby, and also partly because it avoids any awkward conversations with Rusty at the condo. I hope that is okay."

"Perfect," Sharon smiled to him. "I hope my work attire will be suitable for first date attire?" she questioned.

He glanced to her, "Are you kidding? I can't think of a day you haven't looked sexy at work. Sharon, I think one of the reasons most of the LAPD hates you is they can't get over just how stunning you look each and every day. It makes it very hard to focus."

Sharon burst out laughing now. "Hmm, is that why so many ended up in trouble in FID? They just wanted to get a closer look at me?" she teased.

"I can only speak for myself," he said in a teasing voice. "I'd do it all over again. So hot," he chuckled. He kissed her head again and continued, "So, yes, your work attire is ahh, fine," he grinned. Sharon smacked at his arm, and they snuggled closer to each other to enjoy the night sky.

"I should be going home," she said. "I need to get some rest. It sounds like I have a very full day tomorrow."

Andy nodded and stood, pulling Sharon up with him. "I was about to suggest that. I'm getting too old to sit out here that long," he grinned. "Plus, I'm getting too old to stay up this late. I need to get some sleep myself. A much younger sexy lady agreed to go to dinner with me tomorrow. I need to rest up."

"Much younger," Sharon whispered as she shook her head. "I'm three years younger than you are."

Andy nodded in agreement as they reached her car, "I know-much younger." Sharon turned, and with her eyes sparkling in the streetlight, she leaned up and kissed Andy.

"I'll see you tomorrow. It will be one of the longest work days I've ever had," she teased.

"You're telling me," he smiled to her as he wrapped his arms around her. "Be safe. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hmm," Sharon said as she got situated in her car and looked to Andy, "I believe the only thing worse than suffering through the long day tomorrow will be telling Rusty about our relationship the day after that."

Andy groaned as he covered his face. He met Sharon's gaze, and they both started to laugh. "Because I care about you, I'll tell Rusty with you."

She chuckled as she buckled her seat belt. "Andy, I'll happily speak to Rusty. We can talk more tomorrow. Night."

"Good night, Sweetheart," he smiled and closed her door.


	23. Chapter 23

A grocery store. She'd never had a first date where she found herself sitting in a grocery store parking lot. Granted, she hadn't had a lot of first dates, very few to be exact. She was meticulous, but looking back, her judgement hadn't been exactly good on the meticulous part. She was much older now, and she knew her judgment was much, much better. Still, she was in the middle of a first date, or so she thought it was still the middle of it, but maybe it was the end? She wasn't sure. She was sure she was sitting in the car alone, Andy's car, in a grocery store parking lot, late at night, and she was waiting for him to return.

Was he going to return? Sharon hadn't thought about that possibility until this very moment. They'd had a good time, so she thought. Baby steps-they were in this together, except right now, she was alone. She was alone in a grocery store parking lot waiting for Andy to return.

 _"I'll be right back," he'd told her when he pulled into the parking space and flashed a grin at her. "I need to run into the store."_

 _"Now? You need to go to the grocery store on our date, after we've had such a nice dinner? Andy, now?" she'd said with a note of almost irritation. Here it was, their first, official, romantic date, and he had to stop at the grocery store after they'd already had a lovely romantic dinner._

 _"If you are insisting on grocery shopping, I'll go with you," Sharon said as she undid her seatbelt. Andy stilled her hand and flashed his smile again, "No need. Just wait here. I'll be right back. Promise."_

So, here she sat. She glanced up toward the bright lights of the store, and still, no Andy. She checked her watch again, ready to go and find him. He was grocery shopping on their romantic date! This was absurd. If they were going to proceed together, they should be together. Sharon was very well aware that a relationship was not all romance, not all sweeping someone off his or her feet, but it was doing things together, even the mundane things like grocery shopping. She sighed and glanced at her watch again. She slipped on her shoes, because she'd been in the car that long that she'd taken them off, and she decided that while on her date with Andy, she was apparently going to go grocery shopping.

"Sorry I took so long," she heard and almost jumped. Of course, the moment she was focused on putting on her shoes, Andy had reappeared. She sat up from messing with her shoe and turned to Andy. Oh, her sweet Andy, he was getting situated in the driver seat, but she noted he had a large grocery bag on his lap.

"Did you manage to finish your grocery shopping for the week?" she teased, but tried to convey her hint of annoyance.

"I managed to get what I needed, yes," he said as he dug around in the bag. Sharon turned slightly to see what he had that was so important. "For you," he smiled proudly as he pulled a bouquet of flowers out of his bag. "I'm sorry," he gave a slight frown. "This whole thing," he gestured in the air, "is not my normal style on a first date, but to be fair, I haven't been on a first date in well over five years now. Normally, I would pick you up, bring you nicer flowers than these, take you to dinner, and we'd have a lot more time in an evening than a late dinner after working all day. So, these are for you," he handed her the flowers, "and know I wish circumstances were different, and I could have brought you a much nicer bouquet to the condo where you would have been well-rested and worried about how you looked, not that you don't look good now." Andy paused and noted Sharon was grinning at him. "I'm going to stop now before I say something that will get me in the doghouse."

Sharon accepted the flowers from Andy and noted he looked flustered. She leaned as far over as she could with the console in the way and pulled Andy toward her for a kiss. "Andy," she smiled brightly at him, with her eyes sparkling, "this is the nicest first date I've ever had, and it's been much longer than five years since I was on any first date."

Andy's eyes grew large as she continued to smile at him. She shrugged as if it shouldn't be a surprise. "I probably should ask about what horrible dates you have had in the past," he chuckled as he shook his head. Sharon let out a laugh and turned to kiss him again.

"Thank you for the flowers. You really didn't have to stop at a grocery store, late at night, to get me flowers, but thank you. They are beautiful, and you even managed to find a bouquet with lilies, which you know are my favorite," she said sweetly to him.

"You're welcome," he twisted slightly to face her better. He leaned over and kissed her gently. "I just really wanted things to go perfectly. As I worked all day, I talked myself into believing this was a horrible date idea. Who would take you on a first date, after work, in the middle of the week, still in our business suits, to a late dinner-late because we got stuck at work?" he pointed out.

"Andy, I'm not complaining, but you are right about much of that," she grinned. "You're so right that I think I'm ready to swear off any more first dates. They just aren't going to happen."

Andy closed his eyes as he chuckled. He took her hands in his and kissed them as they smiled to each other. "I will say I've had a great time tonight, even with the late dinner and grocery shopping experience."

Sharon laughed, "I have too. I think we're going to be just fine with this dating business, Andy."

"So, does that mean I might be able to score a second date with you?" he flashed a grin to Sharon. She burst out laughing again.

"Perhaps," she patted his hand. "I'll have to check my work schedule, but I believe that could be arranged."

"Might it help if we arranged a date on a day you are off?" he asked sweetly. "Could I persuade you then?"

"Fine," she grinned at him, teasing him with the phrase they'd now taken to making fun of on a repeated basis.

"Of course," Andy trailed off, "it would depend on my boss. She keeps us there all hours of the day and night. At least she's got great legs. That keeps me working."

"Oh, so you think you get work done?" Sharon teased, continuing the banter. "Hmm, I think Provenza would disagree you get work done when my legs are anywhere near your desk."

"I plead the fifth," he raised a hand. They both were quite a minute as the continued to look at each other.

"If I agree to another date this weekend, do you think we could leave the grocery store parking lot?" she raised her eyebrows.

Andy looked around at the empty parking lot and chuckled, "We can get going. I've enjoyed sitting here talking to you because as soon as we get going, I have to take you home."

Sharon nodded, "Well, at least you are taking me home. I did agree to let you take me home tonight and pick me up for work in the morning."

"You did," he nodded as he put the car in gear. "With that thought, let's get you home. The sooner I get you home, the sooner I'll be able to pick you up in the morning too."

The two talked the rest of the way to Sharon's condo. Sharon silently scolded herself for thinking their date would be anything but, well, them. Andy was everything she wanted. He was charming, handsome, smart, funny, kind, and very much her Andy. She couldn't describe that last part, but to only say that he was everything she was realizing she wanted. He was devoted to her too, that was evident and had been for quite some time. As they pulled into the condo parking area, she smiled at the ease of the date. It was a first date, but really, it wasn't. It was so much more. It was a future.

"Would you allow me to walk you upstairs?" he grinned as he parked the car. "You'll really kill my reputation if you ask me to drop you at the front door down here," he gestured. "Plus, I'd have to admit we are talking in another parking lot, and I'd much prefer to talk to you in the building."

Sharon nodded as she laughed, "Of course. You've walked me to the door hundreds of times."

"True," he nodded, "but never on a romantic date," he grinned at her. She nodded in agreement. Andy quickly hopped out of the car and moved to open her door. He helped her out. Sharon grabbed her purse and flowers, while Andy grabbed the grocery bag. She raised her eyes at that.

"Yes?" she asked as she drew out the word.

"Dessert," he grinned. "Come on," he rolled his eyes as he spoke. "You didn't think I would go to the grocery store for flowers and not get you dessert, did you?"

Sharon covered her mouth again as she laughed, shaking her head at Andy for getting her dessert. Andy held out his hand for hers, and the two started toward her building. Sharon spoke after she quit laughing.

"You're being awfully presumptuous, Lieutenant," she batted her eyes at him. "You brought dessert with the idea I'd invite you in to eat it."

He shrugged, "Nah, you could say I had a backup plan. Dessert is ice cream, so I had no assumption I would get invited in for it."

Sharon looked to him, "You don't eat ice cream."

"I know," he nodded. "I got you ice cream, you. I figured if I got a rejection here at the end of the date, I could at least leave you with ice cream." He winked to Sharon and continued, "Besides, this night is about making you happy. Flowers and ice cream make you happy."

Sharon looped her arm through his, "Andy, you make me happy." He smiled brightly at her. Sharon squeezed his arm as they continued to walk hand in hand into the building. The two laughed as they got onto the elevator.

Sharon stood against the side of the elevator smiling at Andy. He strolled across it, deliberately at a slow pace, as the elevator moved upstairs. Sharon laughed again, feeling almost like a teenager. Andy reached Sharon and put his one hand on her hip.

"I'm going to kiss you now," he told her as he kissed her. Sharon grinned at his statement. "I'd really like to kiss you again at the door knowing Rusty could be still up. While we'll have to deal with that at some point, I would rather not deal with that tonight."

Sharon looped her arms around his neck before the elevator stopped, "I'm going to kiss you here before we get off the elevator," she whispered, "and again at the door because I agree, we don't need to discuss this with Rusty tonight."

They moved down the hallway together. Sharon had her flowers in hand, and when they reached her door, she turned and leaned against the wall. Andy walked up to her, and the two started to kiss without saying anything. They didn't want Rusty to hear them, and they really had no words.

"Oh, seriously!" they heard a few minutes later. Truth be told, they'd lost track of time. The two broke their kiss, which had gotten slightly heated, and Andy removed his hands from Sharon and took a step back. Both turned toward the sound of the noise, toward the elevator.

"Rusty? Are you just getting in? We thought you were home and had maybe even gone to bed," Sharon said, trying to gather her composure.

"Yeah, well, believe me, Sharon, I wish I could unsee that!" he exclaimed, gesturing between the two. "Lieutenant, she's like my mom."

"Well aware, Rusty," Andy said, frowning to Sharon. She reached up and with her thumb, rubbed the lipstick off his face.

"Ugh!" Rusty exclaimed again as he watched the action. "You two are like old," he gestured between them again. "Like old people date, but that, I didn't think, ugh!" he exclaimed again, shaking his head. "Old people dating is supposed to be dinner, movies, even the hand-holding junk you two do sometimes, not that," he grimaced.

"Rusty," Sharon sighed and groaned. Andy squeezed her hand. Rusty saw that gesture too and pointed to it, "That hand can stay right there because if you're making out with her, I don't want to think of anything more or where hands and anything else might wander."

"Rusty!" Sharon said firmly now, clearly irritated. "Let's go inside," she said. Andy, who had his keys in his pocket dug them out and found Sharon's key because she was flustered from dealing with Rusty. Andy knew it would be better to get everyone out of the hallway quickly.

"He's got a key? Sharon, really?" Rusty exclaimed.

Andy got the door opened and gestured for them to all enter. He turned back to Rusty, "Rusty, I've had a key for months. Your mom has one to my house, and before you suggest anything inappropriate," he raised his hands in an almost warning for Rusty to listen before he spoke, "we exchanged keys when you were in so much danger. Safety precaution."

Rusty looked between the two, "You're just old," he said again, as he shook his head. He followed Sharon into the condo, moving by Andy. Rusty went right to the couch and plopped down. "So, I guess there will be some sort of family meeting now that I had to see that," he gestured again. Sharon waited at the door for Andy to close it, and the two shook their heads at one another and walked toward the couch. Neither sat, but stood to address Rusty.

"Rusty," Sharon cleared her throat and looked to him as Andy stood next to her, "as you, your brother, sister, and even Nicole have pointed out, we are dating." She nodded to Andy, and they both smiled to Rusty.

"Yeah, okay, still, I don't want to see that," he made a face and gestured toward the hallway where he'd witnessed the two kissing.

Sharon glanced to Andy, and she noted he was having trouble not laughing. Their long discussion with Rusty was anything but that. He also didn't seem bothered by the discussion of them dating. Before she could speak again, Rusty spoke.

"Look, I don't know when you started admitting what the rest of us have been saying for a long time, but whatever," he shrugged. "I really, really, really don't want to know details, Sharon. Lieutenant, I still have to be able to look at you without gagging and thinking about what you have ever been doing with Sharon."

"Rusty, look, I get it," Andy started. "You don't want to see it as much as we don't want to display it in front of you. Fair enough. The thing we all have to realize is that you and Sharon both live here. You might see it sometimes. That's a fact, and it's not going to change. Granted, we'll try to keep it to a minimum, but still," he shrugged.

"Rusty, we'll keep things to a minimum as best we can. Andy is going to be around here, most likely more than he has been, and we are not going to hide just because you feel slightly awkward. Couples," she started to say, but Rusty held up his hands.

"Sharon, please just stop; please don't finish that sentence about what couples do and all," he said, now horrified. "You're like old." He flinched as he thought about his statement and then continued again. "Oh, gross, I just came from helping Patrice move her things into Lieutenant Provenza's house. Seriously, now, I've got the image I saw out in the hall and can almost see it with the two of them. You two," he gestured to Sharon and Andy, "have like scarred me for life. I can't unsee what I saw. Gross," he shuddered.

"Okay, are you done yet? Why don't you just go ahead and dig out the cell phone now and share your sad experience with your brother and sister? Don't forget Nicole because I'm sure she'll be next on your list to contact," Andy pointed out. "Someday, you'll understand all this, believe me."

Rusty scowled at the two of them and noticed Sharon's flowers, "What's up with the flowers tonight?" he asked, looking to Andy.

Andy shrugged, not wanting to get into the topic of their first romantic date, "Your mom likes flowers. I like your mom." Rusty looked between the two with an annoyed expression.

"You're like all sappy, almost like Lieutenant Provenza and Patrice were tonight. Why?" he asked as he looked between the two.

"Rusty, we are just getting home from a nice evening. We went to dinner after work. Now, Andy was just dropping me off, and it sounds like you were just getting in from your moving escapade, yes?" Sharon asked, trying to wrap up this conversation.

Rusty nodded as he looked between the two, trying to figure out if there was more to the story, "Yeah, he worked me past like normal hours. Lieutenant, I'm not even sure the $200 you negotiated is worth it to move all that junk," he huffed. "I told him if I didn't get some rest, I'd be worthless tomorrow. I'm going back to move the heavy stuff tomorrow and to start moving out some of the old, dusty stuff already in the house. You wouldn't believe how much junk he has."

"Trust me," Andy groaned, "I know. I've been to Provenza's house many times."

"It is like a museum," Sharon nodded as she chuckled. "Do we need to discuss any of this further?"

"No way," Rusty shook his head. "I'm not sure what I did to get stuck in the middle of this family," he gestured to them. "Where are Ricky and Emily when I need them?"

Andy turned to Sharon, "I should have let Provenza pay Rusty the $50. To think I was looking out for him," he smirked. Sharon patted his shoulder and then noticed he still had the bag.

"Andy, the ice cream, she gestured to the bag. Rusty gave them an odd look. Sharon explained, "Ice cream. Andy bought ice cream."

"But, you don't eat ice cream, Lieutenant, which don't get me started on how weird that is. Again, I ask, why am I in the middle of a weird family like this?"

"Such a funny guy," Andy gestured to Rusty as he walked toward the kitchen. Sharon pointed a finger at Rusty as she followed.

"Behave," she told him.

"You tell me that when we have a guest. He's here so much that he's not a guest," Rusty pointed out.

"True," Sharon turned back to Rusty and smiled. She also glanced toward Andy who had put the ice cream away, "Andy is not a guest. He's part of us."


	24. Chapter 24

"Andy, hi," Sharon smiled into her phone. She stopped walking to focus on her call.

"Hello yourself. I was calling to see what you were doing this afternoon? It's a long time until 6:00, and I was hoping we could spend some of this afternoon together. It's a rare weekend when we are off, and to be honest, it's the first weekend we are officially dating. I was hoping to see you," he told her nicely.

"Ahh, I see," she smiled. "Well, I'm not doing anything terribly exciting right now. I just arrived at the grocery store. I'm not even inside yet. You called just as I was walking to the building."

"I'll grocery shop with you," he offered. "Are you at your normal store, the one by Nicole's house?" he asked.

Sharon let out a laugh, "I am. Should I be worried you sound like a stalker?"

"Not a stalker. I'm just your best friend who knows your habits and has been to the grocery store with you many times. You're in luck yourself; I'm just leaving Nicole's house. I was over there most of the morning, hanging out with her and the boys. I could be at the store in five minutes," he explained.

"Five minutes, hmm?" Sharon chuckled. "I'll wait five minutes. Just because I like you, I'll even go get us something to drink inside at the coffee shop."

"Wow, here I was just excited to help you fold laundry or something," he chuckled, "and, I score a date to grocery shop. To top it off, I'm even getting a cup of coffee out of the deal. Not too bad, if I say so myself," he told her.

"I'll remember your enthusiasm to hang out with me next time I need to clean the condo," she teased him. "I'm heading in for coffee. I'll see you when you get here," she said.

Andy met Sharon as she was paying for their drinks. He walked up to her and waited at the end of the counter for her to finish.

"Hi," she smiled to him as she met him at the end of the counter. She leaned up, and the two kissed quickly. "You know, I'm not sure why we waited so long to call this dating," she teased. Andy smiled at her comment.

"I'm just glad we are moving forward now," Andy added as he took the cup of coffee from her. "Thank you. So," he clapped his hands together as he held the coffee, "what is on the shopping list today?" Sharon handed him her list, and he studied it as they started walking further into the store. "I see this is almost all Rusty's handwriting," he chuckled. "Face mask? Earplugs? Why did he write that? Do I even want to know?"

Sharon rolled her eyes as she glanced up to Andy, "Think about it," she told him. "Of course, I'm not getting anything like that for him, but he thought he was being so comical. He's still been going on and on about the other night. I'm not sure if he's complained to Nicole yet, but I got an earful from Emily and Ricky."

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons I called you when I left Nicole's house. She and I had a little chat this morning too," he explained. "Sounds like the kids have all been comparing notes with each other. Nicole said even Sandra knew about it because Rusty was texting Nicole while she was over at Sandra's house yesterday. Lucky us," he flashed a grin.

"Ugh," Sharon shook her head as she sighed. "Well, Emily was thrilled. In fact, my ears are still ringing from her screaming on the phone. Ricky was happy too. Both wanted more details, but I only told them there weren't details to share, just that I was surprised they were showing so much enthusiasm for us after they'd been telling us for months we are dating."

Andy nodded, "So, none of the kids know we really just officially started dating?"

"No," Sharon smiled, as she glanced to Andy, "and, I like it like that. Of course, they know we went on a date, but they don't know that was our first romantic date. Let them all wonder and question us. We can keep that to ourselves."

"I like that," he nodded. They continued to walk around as Sharon picked up several items she needed. She worked her way through the list, and Andy helped too by picking up basic, weekly items like bread, that weren't even on the list; the two knew each other that well. They'd spent so much time together, that even grocery shopping was easy.

"Yes, basically, the kids all know Rusty caught us in the hall. That's the extent of their 'dating' knowledge right now," she told him. He nodded as he listened.

"What do you want to have for dinner tonight?" Andy asked. "We never discussed the menu, just that I was coming over for dinner."

"How about spaghetti?" Sharon asked. "I have been wanting to make spaghetti."

"Would you be interested in a homemade Italian sauce?" Andy grinned.

"Is there now any other way to make it?" Sharon teased. "I believe I was told over a year ago that the only way to make spaghetti is with a homemade Italian sauce."

He smirked at Sharon, "So, you invited me to dinner, but you're expecting me to make the sauce?"

"Precisely," Sharon told him. "Let's get all the ingredients."

It took them another half hour to finish grocery shopping. Sharon managed to get everything on the grocery list except for the face mask and ear plugs Rusty had annoyingly written on the list. Andy helped her load the groceries, and then the two made their way back to Sharon's condo. With his help, they were able to get all the bags in one trip. Andy followed Sharon into the condo and flashed a sly grin to Rusty who was working at his computer on the couch.

"Oh, hey, guys," Rusty looked up. "Sharon, do you need me to go down to the car and get anything else?"

"No, thank you though, Rusty. This is everything," she said. She put the bags down on the counter. Andy did the same, and while he started to unload them, she walked back to speak to Rusty.

"Are you going to be home for dinner? Andy and I are making spaghetti," she stated.

"Specifically, I'm making the sauce, and your mom is putting on the noodles," Andy yelled from the kitchen. Sharon bit her lip, trying not to laugh. She looked back to Rusty. He looked up at her wanting to complain about Andy's odd comment. Instead, he shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I might be meeting my friend TJ. I finished helping Lieutenant Provenza about an hour ago, at least for today. TJ and I are going back on Monday to pick up everything that is going to charity. TJ has a truck that will make this a lot easier.

"Good," Sharon nodded. "You're more than welcome to invite this TJ over for dinner tonight too. We'd enjoy meeting him, right Andy?" she asked as he walked up behind her to talk with them.

"Sure," he nodded. "So, how's Provenza's place now?" Andy grinned, wanting the scoop on the move.

Rusty groaned, "How can two people have that much stuff? It's like antiques and modern art collided over there. I have no idea how they are going to weed through everything. Lieutenant Provenza honestly didn't seem to mind. He was just glad Patrice is now living there."

"I'm sure he is," Sharon smiled. "That's a big step for him, for both," she corrected. She looked to Andy, "We'll have to see about the four of us getting dinner soon after they get settled."

Andy raised his eyebrow as he looked to Sharon, "You want to go to dinner with them? Really?"

Sharon shrugged, "Sure. He's your best friend. I'm fine spending the evening with him. We get along well at work, and it would be nice to get to know Patrice."

"Oh, just great, a double date," Rusty cringed. "I really don't want to see that."

Sharon turned back to Andy and with a straight face said, "Of course, we really should have some dinner dates with them here. Rusty wouldn't mind; he knows everyone, and I'm sure he would enjoy having dinner with all of the adults."

"I'm not doing that," Rusty sighed. Andy chuckled at Rusty's aversion to the dating discussion.

"We'll see," Sharon smiled as she turned to go put away the groceries.

"Sharon, did you get cereal? We are out of cereal," Rusty pointed out.

Andy nodded, "I personally put it in the cart. Didn't get all of your requested items, though, "he winked and walked away as he left Rusty to think about his statement.

"Wait, what? Oh," he grinned, as he stood up and walked to the kitchen to speak to them. He sat on a bar stool while Andy helped Sharon put away things in the higher cabinets. "I'll just pick up my own face mask and ear plugs."

"Face mask?" Andy asked, with a questionable look.

Rusty shrugged, "I don't mean like what criminals wear to rob a bank. I'm talking about one of those people wear over their eyes to sleep, you know, like what Emily always has with her when she's home."

Sharon threw a look to Rusty and rolled her eyes, "Then, I'd ask Emily to get you one."

"It's a hazard here without one," Rusty pointed to them. "I can't run the risk of walking in on anything like what I saw the other night," he shuddered. Andy shook his head at him. Sharon changed topics.

"Spaghetti, tonight?" she asked again.

"Oh, umm, no," Rusty said as he looked to his phone. "TJ just texted me back. We're going to meet up later."

"Okay, that's fine," Sharon told him. "There's plenty of food if plans change."

"Nah, I don't want to interrupt your evening," he told them.

"Rusty," Andy turned and frowned, "you aren't ruining an evening in your own home. We're eating here, and we're always happy for you to join us. If we didn't want to be around you, we wouldn't be here," he whispered as if it was a secret.

Rusty looked between the two of them, finally catching Sharon's eye. She just nodded in agreement, "Rusty, do not ever think you are not welcome to have dinner with us, here or anywhere. Now, for tonight, we'd love for you to join us, but we also understand if you have plans."

"Okay," he nodded. "Thanks. I really do have plans. We're going to catch a movie. He gets off at 6:00. What time are you eating anyway?"

"Around 6:00," Sharon nodded. "I'm sure Andy will leave some of the sauce here for you to eat tomorrow. How is that?"

"Good," he smiled. "I do like your sauce, Lieutenant."

"Andy," Sharon nodded to Rusty. "You pointed out he's not a guest because he's here so much. He also has a name."

Andy chuckled as he got something to drink for both himself and Sharon. He handed her a glass of water, which she nodded her thanks to him. Rusty just frowned, "Andy," he said as if trying it out. He shook his head, "Nah, still weird. I'll keep trying," he shrugged.

"Keep practicing," Andy patted his arm as he moved by Rusty to sit at the table. He turned to face both Rusty and Sharon. "So, Rusty, how's your story?"

"Good, I think," he nodded. "I've made some progress. TJ has been a big help."

"It sounds like you have made a good friend," Sharon nodded to Rusty. She ran her arm over his as she moved by him too to sit at the table next to Andy. The three continued to talk for a few more minutes before Rusty checked his watch.

"It's almost 5:00 now. I'm going to get ready and head out," he told them.

"That's our cue to start dinner," Andy looked to Sharon. "It might be after 6:00 before we eat. That sauce takes just over an hour."

"Fine," Sharon shrugged and as she realized the wording she had used, she chuckled. The word had become somewhat of a joke to them now that they'd gotten through the first date. They started the dinner preparations. Rusty poked his head around the corner several minutes later.

"I'm out of here. Have a good night. Should I call before I come home?" he asked. Sharon and Andy glanced to each other and then to Rusty.

"No, Rusty," Sharon smiled. "See you later. Enjoy your evening."

"Night, and just keep all hands and everything," he gestured, "to yourselves."

Andy waited until he heard the door close, and then he started to laugh. "Wow, he isn't letting it go, is he?"

"Hmm, no," Sharon sighed. "He's just paying me back for all the embarrassing things we've had to discuss and deal with the last few years he's lived here. I can also bet that Ricky encouraged Rusty to keep up with the banter. I'm not bothered by it, though," she smiled as she turned to Andy. He pulled her in for an embrace and a kiss.

"Me either," he smiled to her when they pulled back from their kiss. "So, something I wanted to discuss with you."

"What's that?" Sharon asked as she handed Andy a pile of the chopped vegetables she'd just finished preparing.

"Work," he told her. He added by saying, "Well, not work, but I guess our relationship and work. I know we need to fill out paperwork and tell Taylor. Are you prepared to do that? I can't get in trouble with my boss for breaking any rules," he winked to Sharon.

"Hmmm, seems to me you've disclosed your relationship to your boss," she teased as she pointed out the technicality. "You've even disclosed to your immediate supervisor, granted he wants to strangle you for dating me, but yes," she nodded. "You are correct; we do need to speak to Taylor. I need to speak to Taylor."

"I'm not letting you do that alone. Correction," he pointed out, "I wouldn't ASK you to do that alone. I'm aware, Captain, you are perfectly capable of speaking to Taylor when at work. I'd like to be by your side. We're in this together," he used his hip to bump hers. She smiled and nodded as he spoke.

"Thank you. It's been a long time since I've had someone by my side, at least on a romantic level. I'm not discounting that you have been by my side for the last couple of years. We can both speak to him. Tell you what-he's leaving for a conference either Tuesday or Wednesday this week. He'll be gone a week, I believe. Why don't we speak to him when he gets back?" she suggested.

Andy nodded as he turned his attention back toward the stove and the sauce. "Sure, that sounds like a plan. You know who would flip if he heard we were dating?" he started to laugh at his own thought.

"Besides our own children?" she raised an eyebrow to him.

"Well," he shrugged. "They started it. There. I sound like a little kid myself. No, I was going to say Pope. Remember when we ran into him last year coming out of that nice restaurant? He kept telling us he didn't mean to interrupt our working dinner," Andy chuckled. "That guy wouldn't believe it; let me rephrase," Andy raised a finger, "he won't believe it when Taylor calls to tell him because you know as soon as we leave Taylor's office, the first call Taylor will make is to Pope."

Sharon started to laugh too, as she nodded. "He's always liked me," she shrugged, "but I'm very well aware he's a snake. Just as I'm aware Taylor is the biggest gossip in the building. Let them talk," she smiled to Andy.

He leaned up against the counter and pulled Sharon into his arms. He smiled at her, and she smiled at him. They didn't need a lot of words; they said quite a bit with their eyes. Andy ran his hands along her back and finally spoke, "I'm really glad you finally agreed to date me."

"Hmm, me too. I believe it was Ricky who said, and I quote, 'Took you long enough, Mom,' as he then proceeded to tell me he'd have to talk to you about your intentions next time he's home," she laughed.

Andy laughed too, "My intentions, huh? Well, let's put it this way," he leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper, "I intend to have a nice dinner with you, and then I intend to curl up with you on your couch over there where I plan to do this," he kissed her neck, "and this," he said as he kissed the other side of her neck, "if you get the picture." Sharon nodded silently as she tried not to laugh.

"I think I get the idea. Let's not tell Ricky of those intentions. Rusty either," she said as she smiled and ran her hands up his arms. "As we discussed the other night at dinner, our relationship outside of work is a discussion. I think we should clarify that it's a discussion between just you and me," she said playfully as she patted his chest. "Let's not discuss this," she leaned in and kissed him, "with them."

"I can agree to that change," he smiled and kissed her back. They continued to kiss in her kitchen until Andy started to hear the sauce bubbling.

"If we want to eat anytime soon, I need to stir that," he patted her sides and turned to work on dinner. The dinner preparation continued, and they finally sat down to eat a half hour later. They talked easily through dinner and then even as they cleaned up after they'd eaten. While Andy found a movie to watch, Sharon made them tea.

"Anything on tonight?" she asked as she moved toward the couch. Andy stepped out of the way so she could pass by him to sit down. She put both mugs of tea on the coffee table and sat down to get comfortable on the couch.

"No" Andy frowned, "just a stupid _Badge_ marathon. He turned to Sharon when he heard her start to chuckle. "We're watching it, aren't we?"

"Please?" she asked as she put her hands together to plead. He rolled his eyes and sighed before he plopped down next to her on the couch. He threw another glance her way, and he rolled his eyes again when he saw her smiling back at him.

"Thank you," she leaned toward him and kissed his cheek. He used his hand to gesture toward the television.

"I can't believe you and Rusty like this show. It's terrible," he grumbled. Sharon moved closer so she could sit next to Andy. He wrapped his arm around her and sighed, "Okay, I give in."

"See, we can compromise, she said quietly. Andy shook his head and turned to kiss her. "Just know that the next time Mike starts talking about the show and asks if we watched it, I'm going to tell him that I didn't pay any attention because I was making out with you."

Sharon tried to hold back her laugh, but she couldn't. "I'd almost encourage you to tell him that just to see everyone's reaction. Provenza would be the worst, but I think admitting we are dating would be quite the sight too. Besides Provenza, the team has suspected, but you've said no one has directly asked you, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, they just assume, but they've also heard Provenza giving me a hard time lately about wanting to date you. So, yeah, they probably would be speechless if I told them I was otherwise distracted from an episode of this dumb show."

"Mike's show isn't dumb," Sharon scolded him.

"It's not Mike's show!' he exclaimed and when he caught Sharon grinning at him, he sighed and sat back, pulling Sharon back into his side.

"So, that does bring up another topic, like what we discussed earlier," Sharon said as the show went to commercial. "Until we tell Taylor, can we keep things quiet with the team? I do want to follow procedure on this, and I would hate if it ever got back to Taylor he was the last to know."

Andy nodded in agreement, "Yeah, that's fine. I won't say anything. In fact, I'll be the poster boy for professionalism the next few days, Captain."

"Why thank you, Lieutenant," Sharon turned her head slightly to smile at him. "Yes, let's keep our professional hats on while he is away, I mean more than we already do, and then after we've told him, we can officially tell the team. I'll let you do that, of course, unless you would like me to tell them with you."

"Hmm, I'll think about that. I have mixed feelings, but after all the teasing and betting, I'm more inclined to go with shock value," he winked.

"Shock value?" she questioned. "Andy, I'm not going to kiss you in front of the team."

"I know," he grinned. "I mean, one could hope, but I know. Nah, it will be more low key than that. I've already been slipping up by calling you Sharon at work, as you're well aware," he flashed a grin, "but, I'll think of something else. It will be work appropriate, promise," he said as he kissed her head. "Now, tell me about the latest on this show," he gestured to the tv. "I missed the last two weeks. Rusty told me the two of you watched it anyway."

"Because you can't stand it!" Sharon scolded him as she leaned up to look at him. He winked to her, and she smacked at his chest. "Maybe we won't let you watch it with us anymore."

"Oh, just catch me up," he added. "If I must get sucked into your show, the least you can do is fill me in on what I missed."

The two had a lovely evening together. They watched two episodes of _Badge_ , and they spent plenty of time exploring their newly defined dating relationship. Before things got too out of hand, Sharon ran her hand down Andy's arm after they'd taken a break from kissing. "Rusty will probably be home soon."

Andy nodded and checked his watch, "Yeah, you're right. I'm going to get going then so you don't have to listen to him complain about us all night."

Sharon nodded as she sat up from the couch. Andy released his arm that was looped around her; they'd stretched out on the couch and had been facing each other. Sharon stood and gathered the tea mugs while Andy got up too. He found his keys and wallet before Sharon walked him to the door.

"I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow," he smiled to her. "Thanks for the great afternoon and evening."

Sharon nodded, "Call me when you get home?" she asked. Andy nodded and leaned in to kiss her once again.

"Drive safely," she said as she opened the door. He kissed her quickly again before he left. Sharon smiled as she moved from the door and straightened up the living room. She left the light on for Rusty and then went about her bedtime routine. She was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when Rusty came home.

"Hey, Sharon," he stopped at the door to the bathroom to talk to her. "Did the lieutenant go home?"

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Yes, Rusty. He's not hiding somewhere."

"Oh," Rusty frowned slightly. "It's just still early. He's usually here until I get home."

"He went home. We ended our evening," she said.

"Everything okay? Did you two have a fight our something?" he asked, his eyes now wide. Sharon, who had decided to not give Rusty any information he could pass along to his siblings or Nicole, just gave him a small smile.

"Rusty, he went home. There's nothing more to say. Goodnight," she said to him as she patted his arm and walked to her room. Rusty watched her walk into her room and wondered what had happened to upset his mom.

* * *

 **I wanted to end it like this between Rusty and Sharon because in the deleted scene from episode 6, Rusty tells Sharon that he thought things weren't going well between Sharon and Andy. He mentions knowing that they had been calling each other captain and lieutenant again. I needed to start setting that up, the idea that there had been a problem between Sharon and Andy, because the "overnight guest" discussion will be happening soon. :)**


	25. Chapter 25

He was sitting at his desk when Sharon came out of her office and walked by him. Her perfume made him smile even as he continued to look at his computer screen. It was hard to focus, but he was doing what Sharon had asked, trying to be professional even though he wanted to stand up, flash his flirty grin at her, and kiss her. Life was hard sometimes.

"Everyone," she called to the group. "We might have a case." Sharon looked around the room and frowned, "I guess we are not 'everyone' this morning. Julio is finishing in court, I presume?"

Andy nodded, "He and Tao are both finishing at the courthouse. I just got a text from Tao. They'll be here later this morning. Buzz is down the hall," he pointed in the general direction of electronics.

Sharon nodded as she looked to Amy, "We are needed in the morgue. I just looked over some paperwork Dr. Morales sent to me. He might have a case for us." Amy nodded and started to collect her things. Sharon turned back to Andy, "Any word from Lieutenant Provenza? He is coming in today, isn't he?"

Andy nodded, "Last I spoke to him, yes, but that was last night. He and Patrice were still sorting things, and he said he would be in mid-morning unless we needed him earlier."

Sharon listened and then told Andy, "Okay, please give him a call and ask him to meet us at the morgue in say, a half hour. I'd like him to be there if he's not too busy at home."

"Will do," Andy nodded and sat back down at his desk to call Provenza. He picked up the phone and started in on Provenza when he answered, "Are you planning to grace us with your presence today?"

"Please tell me we have a murder," Provenza groaned. Andy chuckled.

"You haven't even lived with her a week, and you're already regretting it, aren't you?" Andy asked him.

"Why are you calling, Flynn?" Provenza asked.

"Possible case. Your presence has been requested in the morgue-half hour. Be there," Andy stated.

"You sound snippy today. What's going on with you?" Provenza asked again.

"Nothing. I am just following orders. I'll see you at the morgue, you old goat," Andy told him and hung up. He stood up and poked his head in Sharon's office. "Provenza has been notified. He'll meet us there," he smiled sweetly to her.

"Oh good," she nodded. "Thank you. I hope we aren't disturbing anything important."

Andy shrugged, "Honestly, even if we were, he sounded like he needed an escape," he chuckled. "I gave the guy a hard time that he hasn't even had Patrice living there a week, and he's already sounding desperate."

Sharon nodded as she held back a smile, "I'm can only imagine. I'll finish this here, and then we can go to the morgue together."

"Sounds good," Andy knocked his knuckles on her door and winked. He turned back to his desk and got to work.

Almost an hour later, the team found themselves listening to Dr. Morales. Andy had told Sharon he was going to be professional, so he decided to start that by NOT calling her Sharon. It was hard because now, especially, he was already in the habit of her just being Sharon. Yes, he was well aware she was his boss, and that was no problem, but he had to admit it was hard not to call her by her name. It was her name, after all, and he'd spent much of the last several days getting to know _Sharon_ much better on a more intimate, more personal level, but for now, he needed to focus and have her just be the captain.

"So, Captain," he called to her several times while they were in the morgue. He wanted to grin at her; he could tell his level of professionalism was putting her slightly on edge. She didn't back down either, dropping "Lieutenant" on multiple occasions herself. He was wondering how long they could keep up this banter. It was almost fun on some level. He hadn't heard Sharon call him lieutenant in a very long time, at least not as an official title. Sure, the two jokingly used their rank when they were alone together, but she was firing back with every captain he dropped.

"Flynn, what's the matter with you?" Provenza walked up to Andy's desk a short while later. The team had just been told their victim had arrived for a chat, and Andy, who was looking up records regarding registered gun owners, turned and looked to Provenza. Andy noticed Sharon, or really, the captain, had just walked out of her office and started toward the interview room where it appeared she and Amy were going to question the victim.

"What are you talking about?" Andy asked with an annoying hint to his voice. "I'm working. What's the matter with you? Paranoid? Already sick of your new living arrangements?" he smirked.

"No!" he threw up his hands. "I'm asking you; don't turn this around on me. What's going on with the captain this morning?"

Andy shook his head, "I'm not following. I don't think anything is going on. How would I know? Have you asked if anything is going on?"

Provenza narrowed his eyes, "Something is going on with her, and you're acting weird, weirder than normal."

"Oh, lay off Provenza!" Andy exclaimed as he stood. He'd noticed Buzz motioning for the two of them to head to electronics. "In case you haven't noticed, we have work to do. Buzz is motioning for us. I'm guessing the interview is about to start."

Provenza watched as Andy cleaned up his desk and started to electronics. "Flynn, what did you do on Saturday?" Something seemed off, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"I saw Nicole and the kids," he told him, which was true. It was how he'd spent half his Saturday. "Unless you want to hear all about new ballet moves, I suggest you focus," he gestured for Provenza to enter electronics ahead of him. They took their places and focused on the interview.

The team worked throughout the morning on the case. Andy could tell Sharon had picked up on his trying to be the "poster boy for professionalism" and wanted to laugh that she'd fired right back at him each time. He was working at his desk when Provenza stepped out of the office. The rest of the team was either hard at work or getting a cup of coffee, so Andy saw this as a perfect time to have a chat with Sharon, or the captain.

"Captain," he knocked on her door as he opened it. While he might be putting more emphasis on her title, he wasn't changing his habits regarding her office. He was used to the simultaneous knock and opening of the door.

"Yes, Lieutenant," she said, as he entered. He left the door open, with a note to himself to lower his voice.

He grinned at her, "I've got a report back for you, Captain," he winked. Sharon accepted it and tried not to smile. She glanced over it, nodding as she read, and then she looked back up to him. She wanted to roll her eyes because he was flashing his famous smile at her.

"You're staring," she said quietly instead.

"Can't help it," he whispered as he put his hands on her desk and leaned forward. It appeared, to outsiders at least, that he was pointing out something on the paperwork he'd handed her. In reality, the two were just flirting. "I said I'd be professional. I didn't say anything about staring."

She nodded, as she bit her lip, "So, staring is professional?"

"It can be," he shrugged, "private investigators stare. Even we do that sometimes with suspects," he grinned.

"Hmm, your level of professionalism has been noted," she flashed a small smile to him.

He winked to her, "So has yours. Keep it up."

"I will if you will," she nodded. He chuckled, looking away for a moment. "Well, it's been noted, or so I think. Provenza is convinced something is wrong with you, and that I'm acting weird."

"You are acting weird. You haven't called me captain in a long time. Honestly, you usually don't call me anything at work. I'm sure he's noted the what, dozen times or so you've already called me that today?"

He grinned, "Who's counting? Hey, I'm just being that poster boy of professionalism I told you I could be. You are a captain, my captain, and I'm respecting your rank, just as you are being equally professional by calling me by lieutenant."

"We'll see who cracks first," she nodded to him as she stood. "Provenza is heading back in here. Let's go out and see what the team has found now." Sharon smiled as she moved by Andy. They rejoined the team to continue with the case.

They all plodded along throughout the afternoon. New details sent various team members in different directions. Andy had decided to wait out everyone to walk out with Sharon, and he tried to focus on his work. That was hard because any moment he allowed his mind to wander, it did just that; it wandered to thoughts of Sharon.

"Flynn," he looked up, not realizing he had been daydreaming again. "You know, the case today, not everyone slips after 20 years."

"Oh, yeah, I know," Andy sighed waving Provenza off. "Hard to hear, and it's hard to see a guy who has worked the program for so long start over. Guy looked like he was still punishing himself for slipping."

Provenza nodded, "Listen, are you okay tonight? You can come over to the house if you need to talk or get your mind off things. Patrice is cooking, as long as you don't mind a mess."

Andy shook his head, "Thanks, but I'm good. I'm going to catch a meeting or two. Really, I'm okay," he offered a small smile to Provenza and nodded.

"Fine, then. If you need anything, you know you can call, right? Even if you irritate me to no end and continue to act weird, you can always call," Provenza noted.

"Thanks, Provenza," Andy nodded to his computer. "I'm just going to finish typing this up, and I'll get out of here."

Provenza glanced to Sharon's office where she was working, "The captain okay?" he asked Andy.

Andy gave Provenza an odd look, "She should be. Why?"

"Just asking. She's been quiet today," Provenza told him. Andy just shrugged.

"Night, Provenza," Andy nodded and turned back to his computer. Once Provenza, the last member of the team, left, Andy stood up and knocked as he opened Sharon's door.

"Hey," he flashed his smile to Sharon. She looked up and returned the smile.

"Yes, Lieutenant," she smirked as she held back a bigger grin. Andy looked down, trying not to chuckle. He looked back up to her and nodded.

"Well played," he noted. "That was fun today. I wanted to see if I could interest the captain in a quick bite to eat?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure if it's appropriate to take your captain to dinner," she explained as she folded her hands and leaned forward on her desk. Andy took a step into the office as he continued to nod.

"That is true. I could almost call this a working dinner, almost," he flashed another grin. "I do want to talk to you about something, something from the case today."

"Oh?" she questioned as she looked up at him.

"Nothing serious, just something that got me thinking about my own life," he told her.

"I see," she nodded. "Yes, I'd be happy to get dinner. Anything in particular?"

"Something fast, if you don't mind. I'd like to catch a meeting," he told her.

"Hmm, I figured as much. Let's get going, then," she said as she stood and started to collect her things. The two discussed dinner, and they agreed to meet at a deli not far from Andy's AA meetings. Andy followed Sharon there, and once they had both parked, they met in front of Sharon's car where he held out his hand for her. She smiled as she put her hand in his to walk inside.

"I've wanted to do that all day," he said as he bumped her shoulder. She chuckled and nodded to him as Andy opened the door to the restaurant. She turned toward him before she walked inside.

"Hmm, I've had other thoughts," she teased. Andy closed his eyes and shook his head. He opened them to notice Sharon leaning up to kiss him quickly. He returned the kiss and squeezed her hand.

"And, you thought you didn't flirt with me," he whispered in her ear. She blushed as they found a table.

After the two had ordered, Sharon leaned forward to get closer to Andy. He was sitting across the table from her. "What did you want to discuss? I have an idea," she prodded him.

"Oh, well," he sighed as he reached across the table and took her hands in his. He held them, rubbing his thumb over her hands as he spoke, "this case," he shrugged. "It got me thinking. I'm almost 20 years sober. It was hard hearing that today, about how he fell off the wagon after 20 years. I wanted to talk to you about it because I know if it's hard for me to hear, it's got to be even harder for you. Here we are, just starting a relationship, and my past is thrown in your face today at work. I wanted to talk to you, to tell you that if it raised any doubts, questions, or concerns, I understand. I even understand if after hearing that all day, you want to step back and not purse things with us."

Sharon nodded as she looked to their joined hands, "I thought as much," she started, and then she corrected herself, "I thought that it might bother you. I would be lying if I didn't say his words hurt, yes. I thought about it some today too, but I'm not going anywhere," she squeezed his hand as she smiled at him. "Andy, I know you are a good man, a very good man. You have worked the program for almost 20 years. I know that nothing is a guarantee, that you could one day have a slip, but I also know that you are not going to let that define you. You would fight and start over if you had to do so. I'm not going to walk away. You want to stay sober; that makes you different from many, one man in particular we'd both like to strangle who has never had that desire," she sighed. Andy nodded, knowing she was speaking of Jack. "I'm not going to run because someday in the future, it may be hard. That's not a guarantee. Andy, you could go the rest of your life without another drink, which I hope you can do that. I want to be here for you, good times and bad, as some might say. Just keep talking to me like this. What did you want to do as soon as you realized the case was hitting you hard? You came to me. You wanted to talk to me," she met his gaze and smiled. "You made plans for a meeting. Andy, you did all the right things. I want you to go to your meeting tonight, more than one if you need. And, if that's not enough, I hope you will call me later. I'm here for you. This case is sad, yes, but it's not a premonition of your life story."

Andy nodded slowly as he offered her a sad smile. The two looked at each other for a few moments, speaking with their eyes and not their voices. He squeezed her hand as their food arrived. "Thank you," he nodded to her. "I needed to hear that, and I appreciate you saying all that. I want to talk to you, always," he added. "There's no one else I want to be open with this about more than you."

"I want that too, Andy," she smiled. WE will work through this together. We," she said again for emphasis. "I realize this ultimately falls on you, but know I'm here for you too."

The spent the rest of dinner talking, more about his alcoholism, but also some on lighter topics. By the end of dinner, Andy was feeling much better about things, and he promised to call Sharon after his meeting.

As he walked her to her car, hand in hand, he continued, "I may stay for more than one meeting," he told her.

"I hope you will," she nodded. "I'm going to go home, but call me later, please. I'll do whatever I can to help."

He raised his eyebrows as they arrived at Sharon's car, "Anything?"

Sharon started to laugh as she playfully smacked at Andy's shirt, "Well, maybe not anything, at least not yet."

He shook his head, "I had to try, Captain," he grinned and winked to her. She started to blush and looked away. "So, you're saying if I came knocking at your door in the middle of the night, you'd turn me away?"

She pursed her lips, "I'd turn you to the couch right now," she stated. She got a smile on her face and shook her head, "No, actually, I'd turn you toward Rusty's room. You two could bunk together."

"Oh," he groaned, "I'd never live that down."

"No, you wouldn't," she smiled, "but, I'd be there for you to get you through a rough patch, any rough patch. Best not to show up at my house in the middle of the night right now, Lieutenant," she whispered, as she started to play with his tie.

"You said right now," he pointed to her. "So, that leaves an opening for perhaps another day, some other middle of the night?"

"Perhaps," she smiled, "possibly some day in the future, and hopefully, it wouldn't be to get you through a rough patch."

"I'll take that for now," he winked. He leaned in and kissed her, taking his time before he broke apart from her. "I've got to go if I'm going to make the meeting."

"Call me later," she smiled. "I'll always answer, and I'm always here for you, Andy."

"I'm glad," he kissed her again quickly. "Get in," he gestured to her car. "Be safe going home. I'll talk to you later."

Sharon thought about their conversation on her drive home. She meant every word she'd told Andy. She wasn't going to turn her back on him, on their relationship, because there might be difficult days ahead. Sharon knew he worked very hard to maintain his sobriety, and she admired and respected him a lot for it. Truthfully, she'd already thought through a lot of the alcohol issues with Andy; she did long ago because she told herself well over a year ago she didn't want to continue growing closer to Andy, even as a friend, if she was worried about his alcoholism and what it could do to her. She'd been through it with Jack, and she wasn't willing to get hurt again if Andy wasn't serious about his sobriety. She'd learned very quickly that Andy was very serious, and she found herself even more attracted to him for that. It seemed silly, really, that she, the divorced wife of an alcoholic, was attracted to a recovering alcoholic because he was serious about staying sober. Yes, it was truly odd, but it was her reality. Sharon continued her drive, telling herself that once she got home, she'd make a cup of tea and stretch out on her sofa to think more about Andy. Tea seemed appropriate for the evening, considering her mind was focused on an alcoholic. Yes, she'd stretch out on the sofa, the very sofa she'd spent most of the weekend with Andy, and while he was at his meeting talking, she'd sit at home and reflect on the man who was warming her heart.

* * *

 **I always like how the show runs themes that are parallel to the characters' lives. I have often thought Sharon and Andy would have discussed this case in relation to their new relationship as I wrote here.**


	26. Chapter 26

Sharon hadn't been home long, and she was already irritated. Provenza. Rusty. It wasn't the relaxing night she wanted. Instead of curling up on her couch with a cup of tea, she was standing on her balcony because there wasn't anywhere inside to comfortably sit. Provenza's museum of artifacts littered her living room, and Rusty had disappeared to his room, no doubt worried he'd be on the receiving end of Sharon's wrath. He was probably right. Provenza's "treasures" were not the welcome home she wanted tonight. She stood there, looking out over the LA sky, trying to enjoy the night. She and Andy had discussed quite a few things, and while she wasn't concerned with their discussion in the least, it still had her thinking. She hoped his meeting was providing him with the help he needed tonight. She glanced at her phone; Andy should be done with his meeting. She toyed with the idea of calling him, not wanting to interrupt him if he was planning to stay for a second meeting. After debating for a couple of minutes, she decided to call him. She didn't want to be a pest, but she did want him to know she cared.

"Hi," she said softly when he answered. She smiled at just the sound of his voice.

"Hi there, Beautiful, or do I need to switch Captain? Is this a work-related call?" he teased slightly, but also somewhat wondering.

Sharon smiled even brighter. Andy was doing better; that she could tell just from the conversation already. "No, this is not work-related, so you can skip the formalities. I was calling to see if you were doing okay. I have been standing here thinking about you."

"Hmm," he hummed into the phone. "That's nice to hear, but I do have to ask where are you standing?"

"Oh," she sighed, "that's another story. I'm standing on the balcony. My living room is otherwise occupied."

"Oh, Rusty?" he asked, now with interest.

"In a way, yes," she chuckled. "I'll get to that, but tell me if I'm interrupting. I didn't want to call, but then I wanted to call. Then, I didn't want to interrupt if you were staying for a second meeting, but then I wanted to let you know I was thinking about you."

"Wow, that's a lot of thinking," he chuckled. "I'm touched. You can tell your brain to rest. I'm doing much better. The meeting was good. Tonight, I don't feel the need to stay for a second meeting. I'm kind of wired now after the first, but in a good way. I'll be fine. Now that we've covered my issues, tell me what you were cryptic about with your living room."

Sharon groaned, "I want to strangle your partner," she stated.

"Provenza? What in the world? Sharon, you're going to have to clue me in, Sweetheart. I'm not putting the pieces together tonight. Call this detective off duty."

"I'm sorry," she chuckled. "I'm not trying to be purposely cryptic. As you know, you negotiated Provenza's moving contract with Rusty. Well, it turns out Provenza was having trouble letting go of his things, and instead of having Rusty take them all to charity, he rented a storage unit. Now, Patrice doesn't know about this storage unit, and of course, when your partner is involved in anything, it's not simple. Rusty and TJ moved everything to storage, who by the way seems like a very nice young man, but when they got to the storage unit, it wouldn't all fit. Half of Provenza's treasures are scattered across my living room. I'm outside because there isn't even room to sit. Andy, he's got so much junk! What is really pathetic is that I'm not sure a charity would even want most of it. It's absolutely hideous."

Andy started to laugh at Sharon's story, and then he added, "Oh, I know how bad his decorating taste is. I can only imagine. The guy still has a rotary dial phone, Sharon."

"No! He does not!" Sharon exclaimed as she started to laugh too. "Oh, Andy, that's terrible."

"I know. I imagine if you dig through whatever is there, you just might find it. Knowing the little I do about Patrice, she'll have that place updated in no time," he continued to chuckle. He turned serious, "I am really sorry he's taken over your living room. I'll deal with that."

"Oh, well, thank you, but you don't need to do that. It's not why I called," she said.

"I know, but still," he told her. "You shouldn't be in the middle of Provenza's love life."

"Hmm, when you put it like that, you're right. I truly don't want to be in the middle of his love life," she sighed.

"I'm glad you called," he said sweetly. "It helped me just as much as my meeting, just in a different way."

"I'm glad to hear that. I just wanted you to know I was thinking of you and hoping you were finding some peace. You mean a lot to me, Andy," she told him.

"I feel the same, Sharon," he said. "Tell me, did you at least make yourself a cup of tea?"

"No," she chuckled. "I had plans to make a cup of tea and curl up on my couch. Instead, I've retreated to the balcony."

"Hmm," he sighed, "I have an idea. The coffee here tonight was terrible; I didn't even drink a full cup. What would you say to my stopping by for just a little while to have a cup of tea with you? I realize you are not in the position to entertain guests, but I'm willing to overlook that."

"Are you?" Sharon teased. "Well, as I told Rusty the other night, you aren't a guest. I'm not planning to entertain you when you are here."

"Ah, that's a shame," he teased. Sharon burst out laughing.

"Of course, you can come over. I just don't want you going out of your way," she told him.

"It's not out of my way," he told her. "It's just a creative, even scenic route home."

"I see. I think I could provide a beverage to tide you over on that long drive home," she chuckled.

"Perfect. Plus, it will give me a chance to see all Provenza's treasures as you called them. I've got to see this. Even better, maybe I'll text him a photo of it with some caption just to irritate him. He kept bugging me all day wondering what was wrong with you. I told him nothing, but he didn't seem to be buying it."

"Maybe he was thrown off by our absurd captain and lieutenant banter. It almost disturbed me," she told him.

"Fine," he sighed. "That little professional gesture can end."

"I'll put some tea on and see you soon?" she asked, hoping he was already on his way.

"10 minutes, tops. I was already in the car when you called, and my car just turned itself toward your place," he said.

"See you soon, Andy," she smiled.

Andy arrived 10 minutes later as he'd promised. Sharon had sent him a text telling him to come in when he arrived; she'd left the door unlocked.

"Oh, you weren't kidding," she heard from the kitchen as she finished making their tea. She left the mugs on the counter and moved into the living room to greet Andy. She crossed her arms and started to nod her head when she met his gaze.

"Yes, it's, it's quite awful," she said as she grimaced.

Andy nodded in agreement as he surveyed the room. He walked to one of the boxes and started to look through it. "Man, this stuff is terrible! I can't believe Provenza actually wants to store some of this junk. Oh, there are those awful duck lamps."

Sharon walked to them and picked up one as she looked at it. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Rusty cleaned out a hunting lodge."

Andy chuckled, "Provenza loves those ugly lamps. He must really love Patrice if he let those go."

"Hmm, the things people do," she put the lamp down and made a face at it. She turned her attention to Andy, "I'm awfully glad you stopped by. I know it's late, but it's very good to see you." She walked to Andy and wrapped her arms around him. "I've been thinking about our dinner talk, and I just want you to know that I'm completely supportive of you, Andy, and I'll be by your side as you continue with your recovery program."

"Thank you," he told her as he kissed her head. "I have done more thinking too and just want you to know how much I appreciate you, how much I value you. I know you don't enter into this relationship lightly; I don't either, but I feel you have a lot more to overlook with my past mistakes, and I am grateful you are willing to take a chance on a washed-up guy like me."

"You're not washed up," Sharon, still in his arms, said as she looked up at him. She leaned up and kissed his lips quickly. "You, Andy Flynn, are a wonderful man. Everyone has a story; yours had a rocky section, but you've put it back on track nicely, as have I, at least I believe."

"Oh, I'm the lucky one," Andy grinned as he kissed her back. "No doubt. Now, I'd love to stand here in the middle of Provenza's treasure trove, but could we maybe sit?"

"Yes," she took his hand and pulled him along to the kitchen. She handed him a mug, and he moved toward the dining room table. "Nope, not tonight. We're both too old to sit at the table right now. My body aches; I'm so worn out. I am taking you to my room," she tugged on his arm again. His eyebrows rose in question.

"Really? Wow, so glad I invited myself over," he chuckled. Sharon rolled her eyes, knowing Andy was teasing her.

"Behave, or I'll send you on your way. We can even leave the door open so we aren't ridiculed by Rusty again," she explained. Andy groaned and shook his head at the thought of another Rusty inquisition. Sharon pulled Andy into her room and nodded, "Make yourself comfortable."

"Well, in that case," Andy smirked at her and put his tea down. He kicked off his shoes and acted like he was going to remove his shirt and tie. He winked to Sharon before he started to chuckle. He finally flopped down on the bed, stretching all the way out. "Oh, my back," he sighed. "This was definitely a much better idea than sitting at the dining room table."

Sharon hummed as she moved to the other side to sit down. He opened one eye and looked up to her, "Sorry, I didn't ask which side I'm allowed to sit on, so?"

She gestured to where he was, "You guessed correctly. This is my side," she said as she settled herself. She tucked her legs under her and rested her arm on her pillow so she was turned sideways to talk to him.

"See, just shows we are in sync more than we thought. I like this side," he grinned. He turned on his side and groaned again as his back spasmed. He got comfortable, and the two found themselves smiling as they settled in with their tea. "Before I go, I'm going to take a picture of Provenza's antique roadshow out there." Sharon laughed and then started to sip her tea. Andy sighed loudly and rolled back onto his back to stretch out again. He closed his eyes, and the two were silent for a few moments. "I'm so comfortable right now," he grumbled. Sharon hummed as she smiled at him. Andy opened his eyes and turned his head to Sharon. She titled her head and smiled again at him. "Okay," he said as he sat up and moved back against the headboard. He got comfortable and crossed his legs that were now stretched out in front of him. "If I stayed like that any longer, I was going to fall asleep. I would rather talk to you right now."

Sharon nodded and leaned the side of her head up against the headboard. The two were now looking at each other and enjoying the silence.

"Is Rusty getting that junk out of here in the morning?" Andy asked as he sipped the tea.

"He said he was. I'll make sure to drop a few subtle hints to Provenza tomorrow," she explained.

"Oh, I won't be subtle. I'll be nice and blunt with him," he grinned.

"Hmm, I can only imagine. Just try not to get into a fight with him with all the team around. I know he knows more about us than anyone else, but let's keep a lid on this. I don't mind if you let him know you were over here, but just not with all ears listening."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "I'm sure I'll get a chance to tear into him," he flashed a grin.

Sharon was about to say something, when they heard Rusty's door open and then saw Rusty walk by the room. He had his earbuds in and appeared to be texting on his phone. He didn't glance their way, but he continued to the kitchen. Andy met Sharon's gaze and shook his head as he chuckled. Teenagers. They both listened and heard Rusty getting something to drink. Both Sharon and Andy continued to drink their tea while they sat there. Soon, they heard Rusty coming back down the hall, and this time, he about jumped when he saw both Sharon and Andy sitting in her room. He stopped in the doorway and pulled out his earbuds.

"Why are you in here drinking tea?" he asked. Andy threw him a look and rolled his eyes. His nod toward the living room seemed to be the clue Rusty needed. "Oh," Rusty said. "Lieutenant, I didn't even know you were coming over this evening."

"Just stopped in to talk to your mom, but when I walked in, I wondered if I'd made a wrong turn and had ended up at Provenza's house," he frowned.

"Yeah, I'm sure Sharon told you that it will be gone in the morning," Rusty explained. "It's like weird to stand here and talk to you two sitting there," he gestured to Sharon's bed. "It's like you shouldn't be in her room."

"Really?" Andy rolled his eyes. "We can gladly move to your room and sit with you, unless you can think of somewhere else to relax. The dining room table wasn't doing it for us tonight. We're old, if you hadn't noticed."

"Yeah, it's just weird," he gestured to them again. "I'm going to go back to my room. Night, Lieutenant. Sharon, are you going in early tomorrow?"

"I am," Sharon nodded. "Night, Rusty." Rusty threw a small wave to them as he left. Andy glanced at Sharon, and she started to laugh. "He'll get used to us."

"Not so sure. He's been more distant with me the last few times I was here. You'd think he'd be okay seeing me over here, but all he wants to do is to flee now when he sees me," Andy said.

Sharon shifted closer and put her head on Andy's shoulder, "Give him time. " She yawned, and Andy took her hand in his.

"I like just sitting here with you. I guess I need to get going, though, before I'm too tired to move," he stated.

"Hmm, yes, I guess so. You're sure you are okay with this slow pace? I know it's not always easy," she asked him.

"Of course," he nodded and squeezed her hand. He turned slightly and kissed her head. "I'm here with you, and you agreed to move forward with me. I'm more than okay with things, even though it pains me to leave you tonight. This," he gestured to their relaxed forms, "is very, very relaxing and nice. I enjoy just being close to you, even if we aren't ready for more."

"Thank you," she patted her hand on his chest. She sat up and kissed him, pulling back finally to smile at him. "I'm glad I got to see you."

"Me too," he groaned as he sat up. He reached for his tie, which he had taken off after joking about it with Sharon. He put his shoes back on and turned to Sharon. She had stood on her side and collected her tea mug. Andy motioned for her to hand over her mug to him. She did as she walked up to him. She ran her hands over his shirt, somewhat missing the tie she always enjoyed playing with around Andy's neck.

"Hopefully we can put this case to bed tomorrow," she told him. Andy nodded, pulling her in closer. He met her gaze and kissed her sweetly.

"Speaking of bed, you need to go to bed," he whispered. "I do too, so I need to leave."

Sharon nodded, and the two walked into the living room. Andy walked by Sharon and took the mugs to the dishwasher. Sharon heard him put them away while she surveyed Provenza's mess again.

"Oh yeah, a picture," Andy grinned.

"Here," Sharon motioned to Andy's phone, "I'll take the picture. You should be in it, or he'll just argue you weren't here, and I sent you the picture."

"Great idea," he grinned. Andy moved toward the sliding glass doors so Sharon could get him standing behind all the junk. He crossed his arms in irritation. Sharon laughed as she snapped the photo.

"You look so irritated," she chuckled.

"I am, for you," he winked, as he took the phone from her. "I'll deal with Provenza. Get some sleep, Captain," he smiled.

"Be careful driving home," she leaned up and kissed him again. "See you in the morning."

Andy saluted as he left, and Sharon locked up the house. She groaned when she turned around to the mess again, intent on subtly annoying Provenza about it in the morning.


	27. Chapter 27

"Flynn, you're coming over for dinner tonight," Andy heard as he was typing away on his computer. He looked up to find Provenza standing near him with a blank expression on his face.

"Well, good morning to you too," Andy scowled. "So now that Patrice is living with you, are you planning to come in late each day?"

"Oh, stuff it," Provenza waved. "I'm not even late," he said as he glanced to his watch. "Why are you here so early?"

"Checking on that warrant. It hasn't come through for us. We might need to go pay the little family another visit without the warrant," he told him.

"Well, regardless, at the end of the day, you're coming to my place for dinner," he told him again.

"What if I have plans?" Andy asked. Provenza scowled at him and glanced toward Sharon's office.

"Do you have plans?" Provenza asked, still looking at Sharon, who was busy with paperwork. She didn't notice Provenza looking at her.

"No," Andy said, "but…"

"Exactly, all the more reason you are coming to dinner. You don't have plans with HER!" he exclaimed. "You're coming over, and we are getting to the bottom of this," he gestured with his hands, "whatever this is. You were weird yesterday. She was odd, and the two of you don't have plans tonight. You're spilling it, everything that apparently went wrong on that date last week."

Andy was about to say more to Provenza, planning to bring up the subject of Sharon's condo full of Provenza's stuff, of course, that he'd seen first-hand last night, but he couldn't because Julio and Amy walked in together. Instead, he closed his mouth, remembering he'd promised Sharon not to get into it with Provenza in the office about her condo.

"Whatever, Provenza," he shook his head. "I'll come to dinner."

"That's settled," Provenza nodded. "So, stop mopping today and quit acting so weird around her."

As the morning progressed, the case picked up steam. Andy tried to get a moment to talk to Provenza, but even as they rode across town to speak to the family again, they never got a moment alone in the car. He'd come to the conclusion he would have wait until dinner before he could say anything.

As the case finished, the team worked on their reports. Andy still hadn't even had a moment to tell Sharon he was having dinner with Provenza. He was hoping to catch a moment to talk to Sharon, but he didn't know if that would happen. As he worked, he felt a wad of paper hit his arm.

"Hey, Provenza, what is up with you?" he asked.

"Just trying to get your attention. You seem to be daydreaming over there, Flynn. I'm done with my reports. Are you done yet? Now, normally, I know, I would wait around and collect everything, but I want to get home and check on things with Patrice. It's been a busy week getting her all moved in, and she said she had something she needed to discuss when I got home. I just want to make sure she didn't sell my house or something. So, are you good here to be in charge, collect the reports, and dump them with the captain?"

Andy nodded as he flipped through his paperwork, "I'm good. I'll turn in everything. Everyone, finish up," he said aloud to the group. "Can't be late for dinner at Provenza's," he chuckled.

"Finish here, Flynn and come over," Provenza told him. "I have no idea what Patrice made, but she likes healthy things like you, so I'm sure there will be something you can eat."

"Later, Provenza," he waved and turned his attention back on his work. One by one, the team turned in their paperwork, leaving Andy with the final details before he turned in the batch to Sharon. She'd left her door open after she'd gone to the restroom earlier, so Andy didn't even need to knock when he stepped into her office.

"Reports are done," he handed them to her. "I checked over everyone's, and they are all complete."

Sharon smiled as she looked up, "And, just how did you end up as the officer in charge out there this evening?"

Andy rolled his eyes, "Provenza had a Patrice emergency," he shrugged. "It's almost comical to see him all worried about her. He's been a bit on edge, even a bit scatterbrained. Guy is bending over backwards to make sure she's happy," he chuckled. Sharon smiled as he spoke, watching him as he gestured. He looked to her and continued, "Of course, for once, he's got the right idea, that is to make sure she's happy. That's my belief too."

She grinned, "Well, I'm very happy." She looked down at her work, "I could do without this latest case, knowing that we really didn't wrap it up like we should, but I'm okay with that."

Andy nodded, "Yeah, sure missed Hobbs today. Is she in court? We haven't seen her around here in days."

"She is," Sharon nodded. "I haven't spoken to her in quite some time myself, really since the flirting advice," she grinned.

Andy dropped his head, trying not to laugh as he nodded. "You'll have to let her know how that all turned out for you."

Sharon shrugged, "Considering the outcome, she'd probably tell me I should have taken her advice long ago. I might have to clarify with her the flirting advice truly backfired, and that I did better on my own."

Andy grinned, "Yes, please don't try to up the flirting, at least on purpose like that, again."

"Noted," she chuckled. "So, did you speak to Provenza? I had several opportunities to drop subtle hints about my living room today. You could tell he was nervous I was going to go off on him at any moment."

Andy started to chuckle, "I didn't get the opportunity. All day, we were constantly with other people, even when we drove over to that house this morning.

"Ahh," Sharon smiled.

"Which is one of the things I wanted to tell you," he continued as she was about to say more. "Provenza invited me, no, he ordered me to dinner at his house tonight with Patrice. So, I'm going there as soon as we're finished here. Oh, I'm going to say something, believe me. I really wasn't given a choice about dinner. I hope that is okay."

"Of course, it's more than okay!" Sharon exclaimed. "Andy, you do not need to check with me constantly on plans. I appreciate you did, but right now, do not feel like you need to spend every minute with me or run things by me."

He nodded, "Well, I want to, somewhat. I mean, I want to check with you, and I really like spending time with you. If you need space, though, let me know."

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Sharon told him as she stood and walked around the desk to him. "I just don't want you to feel tied down, to feel that you can't have your own life."

"Well, same to you," he leaned in and whispered. They were skirting the professional line, so Sharon just nodded and smiled. She was close to Andy, but it wasn't inappropriate for work.

"Okay, well then go," she gestured, waving her hands at him. "I'm going to finish this paperwork and go home to Rusty. I'm almost wondering if I should check in with him to make sure the condo is back to normal."

"Oh, let me," Andy grabbed his phone and waved it in the air. Sharon shook her head and sighed.

"Rusty," Andy called out when Rusty answered the phone. "Hey, I wanted to check on the status of the condo before your mom heads home. She's had a long day, and I know she wants to relax when she gets home. Did you move all of Provenza's things?"

Sharon listened to Andy on the phone and moved about her desk. She still had a smile pile of paperwork to complete. She looked up when Andy finished.

"The condo is back to normal, my dear," he nodded at his statement.

"Thank you. Well, go and enjoy dinner with Provenza. I'm going to go home and dig through my own refrigerator," she told him.

"Rusty told me not to tell you, but he has dinner waiting. He knows he caused a mess yesterday," Andy winked.

"Ahh, well, thank you. I'll act surprised. I'm glad you told me because I might have stopped for food," she said.

He rocked on his heels and then leaned toward her desk again, "That's why I told you. I know you. Now, I'm heading to dinner. I'll call you later with a full Provenza report."

"Sounds good," she chuckled. "Have a nice time. I'll talk to you later."

Andy made his way over to Provenza's house and was shocked when Provenza answered the door and invited him in, all normal things, but Provenza was never normal with Andy and never a good host.

"Wow!" Andy exclaimed as he looked around. Patrice came out of the kitchen to greet him. "Patrice, this old place looks amazing! You really did a great job, and the best part is, there are barely any signs of Provenza's things."

"Andy, it's so nice to see you again. I'm glad you could come to dinner, but I can't take credit for all of this," Patrice gestured. "My friend stages homes. We do get to keep this now that Louie here has agreed he likes it."

"Oh, you do?" Andy grinned as he turned to Provenza. "I'm shocked you let go of your things. I see the old recliner made the final cut," he nodded to the chair. "I'm very impressed you donated so much to charity," Andy stated without an expression. He was baiting Provenza and wanted to see if it worked.

Patrice patted Provenza's arm, "I'm surprised you didn't clue your best friend in on your real plans for everything, Louie."

Provenza waved at Andy, "Flynn, I guess that shows me just how bad things are. You haven't even spoken to Rusty to get the latest. He didn't take my things to charity. He took them to storage, which was a mess, and I haven't even had time to tell Patrice. Come on; let's hear the disastrous date details. I thought you might at least have heard from Rusty about all the moving stuff."

Andy grinned as he dug his phone out of his pocket. He glanced toward the couple; they were standing together, and Patrice had now looped her arm through Provenza's. "See, Provenza, I can sometimes still pull one over on you." He worked with his phone, noting that both Patrice and Provenza had questioning expressions. "Patrice, you will find this interesting, comical really," he shrugged. He opened the photo from Sharon's condo and flipped his phone toward the two.

"If he hasn't had time to tell you, you will laugh at this-Provenza's cheap self rented a storage unit that was way too small. Rusty and his friend, TJ, spent all day moving everything, which I'm sure you do know since you were probably home. Sharon walked into the condo last night to this," he grinned. "She wasn't happy with the new decorating scheme."

"Louie!" Patrice snapped at him as she took the phone from Andy to study it. "All of your things went to Sharon's house last night."

"No! It wasn't everything. Plenty went to that first storage unit. That was just the overflow." He gestured to Patrice for the phone, and once he had it, he studied it. "Flynn, what were you doing at the captain's condo, and why did you take a picture of all this? You look like an idiot."

Andy made a face at Provenza, "Why wouldn't I be there? I have no idea why you think things went so badly on our date, but Sharon and I had a great time. I stopped at her place last night after my meeting. She was so frustrated when she explained the mess, I had to see it for myself. You really dumped a lot on her and on Rusty."

"You mean to tell me you two aren't fighting and aren't going through some soap opera break up? Flynn, I thought you were moping around the office. Then, yesterday, you sounded like an idiot trying to be all professional with her. You never do that."

Andy grinned, "Yeah, that was fun. I told Sharon I was going to be the poster boy for professionalism," he grinned. "You can't argue I wasn't professional."

"That was all some game?" Provenza exclaimed.

"Sort of," Andy shrugged. "It wasn't like we set out for it to be a game. I just started calling her captain, and she kept firing back at me with lieutenant. We only discussed making sure things at work stayed extremely professional right now because we haven't spoken to Taylor about the changes in our personal relationship. He's at some conference, and until we speak to him, we don't want our relationship to become the office gossip."

Provenza shook his head, trying to understand everything. He looked to Patrice, and she started to laugh.

"Andy, your best friend has been so worried about you! He'll never admit it, but he grumbled about it all evening, going on and on about your heart getting broken. He's been so worried you were sinking into a depression, which is why he invited you to dinner, not that we aren't glad to have you anyway," Patrice smiled at Andy.

Provenza threw an irritated glance toward Patrice for sharing all of that and then looked back to Andy, "You mean to tell me you two are fine? You are, what now-I don't even know what to say," Provenza stammered.

"Dating?" Andy grinned. "Yeah, we're dating. Officially. Dating-real deal, romance and all," he nodded.

"Oh, wipe that ridiculous smile off your face," Provenza groaned as he waved to Andy. "I can't believe you finally went through with things, and even worse, that she agreed and apparently wants to date you."

"Yeah, it's great," Andy grinned again.

"Louie, be kind," Patrice admonished him. She smiled at Andy, "Andy, whether he wants to admit it or not, he's happy for you. We both are. If I had known any of this, I would have had you bring Sharon along for dinner too!" she exclaimed as she clapped her hands together.

"You know, she mentioned the same thing the other night. We were talking to Rusty about his helping with this move, and she brought up the idea the four of us should go out to dinner, you know, double date."

Provenza's eyes grew wide, "You cannot expect me to go on a double date with the captain!"

"Louie! These are your friends, our friends. I like Sharon, and I'd really enjoy that," she smiled. "You know you would too. Sharon is your friend as well." Provenza tried to ignore her as he prodded Andy for more information.

"So,Rusty knows too? He wouldn't tell me anything," Provenza admitted.

Andy held up his hand, "Rusty doesn't know the specifics, and we'd like to keep it that way. Look, the kid, and really all of our kids, think we've been dating for months, really, over a year if we could be honest about it. Rusty knows we are now admitting it, but he doesn't know any timeline. Please, we'd like to keep it that way."

"He won't talk, Andy," Patrice patted Provenza's arm. "That's sweet that even though the kids are aware, you and Sharon are trying to keep some semblance of privacy."

"Exactly," Andy nodded. "Plus, I'm not convinced like Sharon is that Rusty will handle all this well now that I'm over there even more. We'll see."

"I'm still trying to figure out how I misread this. That's not like me. I asked you about your weekend. You just said it was fine and spent time with Nicole," Provenza stated.

Andy nodded, "I did spend time with Nicole. I just didn't tell you about the rest of the weekend. I spent most of Saturday morning and afternoon with Nicole. I saw Sharon Thursday for our date, Friday evening, and then I spent the other half of Saturday with her. Normal stuff. We went grocery shopping, made dinner, and we watched a movie. I never lied," he shrugged.

"So, she really agreed to date your sorry self? No more of this going out but not calling it a date or dragging the team along on your date because you can't ask her on your own?" Provenza asked as he tried to clarify things.

"Yup," Andy rocked back on his heels and put his hands in his pockets. "All the above. Kissing and all," he winked to Patrice as Provenza gagged.

"Stop right there!" Provenza exclaimed. "I do not ever want to hear you describe THAT with the captain."

Andy chuckled as he raised his hands in surrender, "Fine, but just know, once we tell Taylor, you never know what you might see at the office."

"Oh, if I see that unthinkable, you'll see me do the unthinkable too-retire," Provenza grumbled.

Several hours later, Andy settled in for the night in his bed. He'd had a nice dinner with Patrice and a tolerable one with Provenza. Now that he was home and ready for bed, he couldn't wait to call Sharon. He missed hearing her voice and just talking to her all evening. He also needed to admit to her that yes, she'd been right in suggesting a double date. Without her at dinner, he was a bit lonely and felt like a third wheel. It would be even fun to go out sometime with Provenza and Patrice.

"Hi, Sweetheart," he said into the phone when she answered. "You weren't sleeping, were you?"

"No," she chuckled. "I was not sleeping."

"Something is funny, I see," he added.

"Hmm, I just had an interesting conversation," she explained. "I was just finishing up in the kitchen. Let me move back to my room where I can tell you about it."

"Oh?" he asked, his interest now evident. "What kind of conversation?"

"A needed one, with Rusty, about well, changes in the future," she explained.

"Go on; I'm listening," he smiled as he leaned back to spend some time talking to his girlfriend.


	28. Chapter 28

Sharon was trying hard not to laugh, and she was failing. Luckily, she could busy herself in the kitchen to distract herself, but Rusty's glare was very obvious. It was following her every move she made. She was trying to be patient with him, as she knew the reason for the glare. He hadn't been able to look at her in a normal light since they'd had their "discussion" the night before, the discussion of overnight guests in the condo.

As Sharon expected, Rusty jumped on the topic, assuming like many things, she was talking about Rusty. He had a tendency to do that, a tendency she knew was partly because he was still a teenager, unaware of other people's situations and feelings. Yes, he still had a selfish side when it came to discussing personal things, always assuming the topic centered around him. For once last night, though, Sharon dropped a bombshell on Rusty; the topic was not Rusty-centered, but instead it had been Sharon-centered or rather, Sharon and Andy centered, and now here, this morning, Rusty still hadn't recovered. Sharon had tried to talk to Rusty about Andy on a few occasions over the last few days, and each time, Rusty had jumped to his own defense, assuming she was discussing a relationship with TJ. Sharon knew Rusty better than he thought by now, and she knew that he wouldn't feel comfortable talking about his own personal relationships, at least with her bringing them up. What Rusty hadn't figured out, not until she'd been blunt with him about a relationship, or a progressing relationship with Andy, is that all her attempts to talk to Rusty the past few days had been geared toward her own life.

"Sometimes friendships can grow into something more," she replayed in her head. She'd told Rusty that a couple nights ago, and he'd assumed Sharon was discussing his friendship with TJ. She hadn't been, but the situation hadn't presented the right light to explain that to Rusty. She had, of course, been talking about her relationship with Andy, that their friendship was growing into something more, something more that she was quickly realizing she wanted. She kept telling Andy that Rusty just needed time, time to adjust to them, and she was certain of that. Up until last week when she and Andy had gone on their first romantic date, Rusty was comfortable with things. Sharon was too, well, except when she'd tried the flirting bit. Rusty had been comfortable because in his eyes, they were dating, and so far, that hadn't changed his world much. Andy was around, some, but he always went home, and he didn't seem to invade Rusty's space. Now that things were changing, Sharon knew it would make Rusty uncomfortable, just as their discussion had last night.

"I thought that things weren't going well between the two of you?" Rusty had asked her. Sharon played that in her head as she stood in the kitchen drinking her coffee. She knew Rusty was still glaring at her, no doubt playing the same conversation over and over in his head. Sharon had held back her facial expressions as best she could when Rusty said that to her the night before. Oh, she was giddy and tried not to show it. She really wanted to blurt out that things were going well, great, actually, but she'd resisted. She'd held back her smile, knowing that while an awkward conversation, it was a necessary one. She really needed to convey to Rusty that after a year of "dating" Andy, at least dating Andy according to Rusty, that things were about to change. Yes, as Rusty had grimaced as he spoke, he would one day find Andy at the kitchen table eating his breakfast. The more Sharon thought about it, the more she really, really liked that idea, not just what it would mean as far as progress in their relationship, but she really, really liked the idea of Andy being around more, of not having to send him home at the end of the day, of even just talking to him until she fell asleep and waking up to his gorgeous brown eyes looking at her. Yes, while not ideal, the conversation with Rusty had to happen. Now, she was paying the price, in a matter of speaking, with silent treatment and glaring stares from the kitchen table.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and glanced toward Rusty as she took a sip of her tea. Yes, he was still glaring, more than likely trying NOT to imagine sharing the breakfast table with Andy or the events that would lead up to Andy sharing a breakfast table with him. That would be the day, but as Sharon thought even more, yes, that would be the day and a day sometime in the near future. As if the timing was almost planned, Sharon heard a key in the front door. She hid her smile behind her mug and tried to look away from Rusty knowing he was about to become more uncomfortable.

"Good morning," they both heard, and Sharon turned toward the voice. She held back a chuckle as she watched Rusty almost jump in his chair at the sound of the voice. He seemed to be daydreaming himself and most likely hadn't heard the key in the lock. Sharon might have missed it too, but she was expecting her early morning visitor.

"Good morning," Sharon smiled cheerfully at Andy as he walked to the counter and put the grocery bag on it. He squeezed her hand that was resting on the counter, both trying to be somewhat respectful of Rusty. They'd discussed affection and knew in time, they could display it around him, but Sharon knew they were walking a thin line today.

"Are you seriously here for breakfast this morning?" Rusty turned and looked to Andy with a horrified expression.

Andy just smiled and pulled out his food surprise, or really, as he and Sharon saw it, a food bribe.

"I thought it would be nice to see you both this morning on the way to work. I brought doughnuts," he grinned as he put the box on the table. Sharon and Andy had discussed this at length the night before, and both agreed doughnuts, one of Rusty's favorite breakfast foods, would be a good start.

Rusty eyed the treat and looked to both Sharon and Andy. "Why are you here?"

Andy shrugged, "Ahh, I wanted to talk to your mom, and I wanted to speak to you about the Alice story. I hadn't gotten an update from you in over a week, and I was just curious," he added as he pulled out a chair to sit. "You were keeping me updated, so here I am; update me," he grinned.

Rusty took a spoonful of cereal and looked to the two adults again. Sharon had started moving around in the kitchen, and he noticed she was now preparing two travel mugs of coffee for work.

"Sharon, you knew he was coming for breakfast?" Rusty asked.

"Hmm, I did," Sharon smiled to the two. "I also thought it would be nice. You haven't had much time to talk to Andy lately about your story."

"Now, I am fully clothed, no bathrobe, so no need to panic," Andy flashed a grin to Rusty.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Rusty exclaimed, another horrified expression on his face. "Sharon, you told him about that?"

"Well, Rusty, he would be a participating party, so yes, he's aware of conversations that do involve him and any clothing he may need to wear."

Rusty put down his spoon and just glared at Andy. He turned and glared at Sharon again, making faces as he looked back to his bowl. He seemed to admit his defeat on the matter, or possibly his acceptance of such an event happening in the future, when he opened the doughnut box and grabbed at two inside.

"You know, this is like typical cop stuff people complain about right here. Two cops are trying to bribe a witness on matters of police brutality or cruelty," he complained as he ate.

Andy listened and nodded, opening the doughnut box himself. He pulled out a glazed doughnut for himself and turned to Sharon, "I got you one of those cream-filled doughnuts you like." Her eyes grew wide, and she moved to the table to accept the treat and sit down to talk.

"The way I see it, Rusty," she started, "is that you aren't a witness. There's also no bribery."

"I am a witness! I'm a witness to this, this relationship," he gestured to the two of them, trying to find the right words to express his frustration.

"And, this isn't bribery," Andy smiled as he held up the doughnut. "I just thought I'd bring over your favorite breakfast so we could all talk. I was already out and about, and some day in the future, that won't be the case. Then, I'll be glad to sit here with you over a bowl of cereal," he smiled.

Rusty grimaced and looked between the adults. He sighed and shook his head, "Look, I get it you two are adults. I just keep asking myself as well as Ricky and Emily, why I'm the one stuck in this weird family. They don't have to deal with this!"

"Rusty, as I said last night, I think you are having the wrong reaction to this. Look, we are not trying to dangle this in front of you, but as you mentioned last night, you don't want to hear about it. Honey, that's just not possible, at least on some level. Andy and I wanted to talk to you this morning to discuss that, just that we aren't going to parade everything about our relationship in front of you, but there will be things you will hear about, things you will be part of, and things that might change."

Rusty listened, but he didn't say much. Andy picked up after they gave Rusty a few moments to digest both the information and his doughnut. "Look, Rusty," Andy started, "I'm still the same Andy, or to you, the same Lieutenant," he chuckled. "I still want to talk to you when I'm here, and I most definitely still want to play chess with you when I'm here; it's not like I want to shut you out. I care about your mom, but I also care about you, just like this Alice story. Right now, I only want to reassure you that I'm here because I care, yes, in different ways," he grinned. "I'm sure you don't want me to care about you the same way I care about Sharon, but know that I have no ulterior motives."

Rusty sighed and looked away. When he turned back to them, they were sitting there, both watching him, studying him. "Fine," he waved at them. "Just don't expect a home-cooked breakfast on one of these morning surprises," he sighed.

"Fair enough," Andy nodded to him.

Rusty looked between the two adults again, "Are you done with this intervention, or is there more to say? I'd really like to get out of this awkwardness and get going. I'm working on a lead for my story."

"Rusty," Sharon sighed, and then she waved him off, "this wasn't meant to be an intervention. We just want you to be okay with everything. Yes, you're free to go. Have a good day."

"Thanks," Rusty jumped up.

Andy motioned to his plates, "I'll take care of those. I appreciate you listening. Good luck with your story."

Rusty nodded as he left his plates and moved quickly to get out of the area. Sharon and Andy sat looking at each other without speaking while they listened to Rusty move around the condo to leave for the morning. When he was out the door, Sharon offered a smile to Andy.

"Thank you for coming over this morning. I felt like if Rusty didn't see you soon and just replayed our overnight guest conversation in his head for days, it would only make it worse," she explained.

"Of course," Andy smiled as he reached across the table for Sharon's hand. "Happy to help, but man, I could feel the tension," he chuckled.

Sharon hummed, "Before you got here, he spent all of breakfast just glaring at me, no doubt trying not to visualize you sitting here with him for breakfast."

"You're wicked," he winked, "but, thank you for inviting me over for breakfast."

"Well," she hummed, "at least you weren't in your bathrobe, as you pointed out to him, not that someday that would perfectly acceptable attire for breakfast."

"Oh, really?" he smiled as he rubbed his thumb over her hand. "I'm not sure it would be acceptable to the residents of Los Angeles, you know. It would look a bit odd for me to drive over here in my bathrobe for breakfast."

"I guess then, that in the future, you'd have to just wear it here, the bathrobe, I mean. You'd have to stay and wear it here so that you aren't laughed at by the citizens of Los Angeles," she smiled.

Andy nodded, "Somewhere in the future, I would very much like that," he grinned. "I will have to warn you that my bathrobe isn't stylish; in fact, it's kind of old."

"Hmm, yes, I know. I've seen it hanging in your bathroom, but still, I'd allow it here," she smiled.

Andy chuckled, "Good. Well, when that day comes, I'd gladly bring it, especially so that the kid doesn't have a heart attack or go blabbing to his siblings and my kids about my pajama patterns."

Sharon nodded as the two continued to look at each other. She glanced at the clock, "We'd better get to work. We don't want to be late."

"My offer still stands to take you to work. I'd be happy to drop you off at the condo this evening," he told her.

"Hmm, I think I'd like that," she smiled as she walked up to him. "Good morning again," she said quietly as she leaned up to kiss him properly.

"A good morning indeed," he winked.

The two chatted easily on the drive to work. Andy recounted his evening with Provenza and Patrice in more detail than the night before. He and Sharon had spent most of their phone conversation discussing Rusty and the "overnight guest" conversation Sharon had with Rusty. So, it was nice on the morning drive, to have a light conversation, full of humor at Provenza's expense.

As the two rode up in the empty elevator, Sharon met Andy's gaze, "I'm going to stop by Taylor's office and see when he'll be returning. I can't remember if it's today or tomorrow, but I will see about making an appointment to speak with him."

Andy nodded, "Sounds good. I'll head to my desk. Last thing we need is all eyes and ears on us as we arrive to work."

The two parted at the elevator, and Andy made his way into the team area. He nodded to Provenza and raised his travel coffee mug in greeting. Provenza scowled and offered a quick wave to him.

"I'm already halfway through this crossword puzzle, Flynn. About time you showed up for the day," Provenza grumbled.

"I'm the second person here," Andy complained. "What is your problem? I'm here nice and early."

"I've been waiting for you to get here. I'm hungry. Patrice has been making these smoothie things in the morning, and I can't stand anything with spinach in it. She's loading the things with fruit and spinach, Flynn! Anyway, I'm in need of something, maybe some sugar. Let's head down the street to the bakery where we can get a doughnut and a cup of coffee," he stated.

Andy held up his mug of coffee, "Good on the coffee, and I actually already had a doughnut this morning. So, not thank you."

Provenza eyed him, trying to decide what to ask him next, "Any word when your favorite captain is going to grace us with her presence?"

"Any minute now," Andy flashed a grin. He turned back to his computer to finish booting it up for the day.

"Good morning," Sharon smiled as she entered the room. She stopped near the board to great Provenza, "Lieutenant, I hope things are settling down at your house."

"Hmm, they are settling down, and after all the changes, I'm not sure how much I could call it my house," he raised an eyebrow as he eyed her matching travel mug. "Say, Captain, you wouldn't be interested in a cup of coffee and a doughnut this morning, would you? I'm in the mood for that."

"Oh, no thank you. I already had something very similar," she smiled sweetly to him. Both she and Provenza turned to Andy when she said that, as he dropped his head in quiet laughter. Sharon looked between Andy and then to Provenza, noting Provenza's smug grin. "I'm guessing you already heard that this morning."

"Oh, I did," Provenza smirked. "I really don't want to know why you two had the same breakfast and have matching travel mugs."

Sharon held up hers, just realizing that, and she rolled her eyes at Provenza, "We felt the need to have breakfast together and speak to Rusty about, well, many things in his home life." She was getting flustered, and she smoothed out her hair as she noted Provenza smiling smugly at her.

"I'm sure it was a delightful breakfast, Captain. Since I have no desire to sit around and dish about your life over a bowl of popcorn while we braid your hair, I think I'll get back to my crossword puzzle," he nodded to his desk.

Sharon sighed and nodded, turning toward her office. "Good morning, Andy," she called out to him as if there was any question she'd already spoken to him at length this morning.

"A good one indeed," Andy winked to her as she walked by his desk. She closed her office door to gather her thoughts and calm herself. She heard Andy call out to Provenza, "You're welcome; we dropped the formalities."

Sharon chuckled as she moved around to her desk and put away her personal belongings. It was hopefully going to be a paperwork day. As dull as those days could be, they were also a welcome relief after several cases in a row. She glanced out and noted Andy and Provenza were still talking, or even arguing back and forth. A quick glance toward the doorway, and she noted Amy and Buzz were arriving. Sharon sat down and very quickly, her mind started to wander. It drifted back to her conversation with Andy the night before. She'd been nervous to speak to Rusty, but she'd been even more nervous, perhaps, to explain everything to Andy. She knew, though, that part of a true relationship, was talking and putting all cards on the table. She'd done that with Andy, and after she started telling him about her conversation with Rusty, she realized it had felt silly to be nervous. Her mind drifted to the evening before.

She'd closed the house, making sure the front door was locked. Sharon threw a quick glance toward Rusty's room and saw his door was closed. She could hear music, which was a welcome relief. If she could hear music, Rusty most likely wouldn't hear anything she had to say. Still, she moved into her room and closed her door before she said anything further to Andy.

 _"Okay, sorry about that. I wanted to get comfortable in my room," she explained to Andy. "Now, I'd like to tell you about our conversation, but promise you won't laugh or get uncomfortable," she started._

 _She knew didn't give her heart away freely or easily. 30 years in a mostly loveless marriage to Jack was proof of that. She was calculated and didn't jump quickly. She'd even entertained the idea Andy was just some rebound, only to shake that thought from her head, partly after Emily had told her it was absurd back at Christmas. Emily had asked her about Andy, about her mom's care for Andy, and Sharon had said that the two were good friends, that she had to make sure she wasn't jumping from Jack to Andy just because of a rebound situation. Emily had laughed, telling Sharon that her situation was most definitely not a rebound. But, Sharon had to admit to herself the idea had been there. She hadn't given any part of her heart away since Jack, and she knew that IF she ever did, she would have to think through every single detail, which is how she ended up discussing a very awkward conversation with Rusty._

 _"I'm listening," Andy told her. "Sharon, by now, you know you can tell me anything, I mean anything, Sweetheart."_

 _"Okay," she took a deep breath. "For some reason, this is harder to discuss with you than it was with Rusty, and it should be the other way around."_

 _She paused, and then she continued again, "Andy, I put the idea in Rusty's head that he needed to be prepared for overnight guests here at the condo in the future."_

 _"Ahh, I see," Andy said calmly. "So, when you are talking guests, who is making this cut, Sharon?"_

 _Sharon let out a quiet chuckle. Andy really knew her well and knew how to ease tension without even trying, "I possibly should have clarified my grammatical wording better," she told Andy. "I should have used the singular form. Overnight guest. I tried to prepare Rusty for the idea that in the future, he might find an overnight guest in the kitchen."_

 _"Oh good," Andy chuckled, "because I was worried you were running a brothel or something, Sharon."_

 _"Stop!" Sharon burst out laughing. "Here, I'm trying to be serious," she sighed._

 _"I know," Andy replied sweetly. "I also know you, and you are nervous and most likely fidgeting. You probably can't still your hands."_

 _Sharon looked down to her hands, and she scoffed into the phone. "I plead the fifth," she told Andy, "and I can promise you I most certainly do not have a brothel going."_

 _"What a relief," Andy smirked. "Now, you actually sat down and told Rusty that in the future, he might find an overnight guest in his house?" he chuckled._

 _"I did," Sharon said._

 _"Any names come up with regards to this guest's identity?" Andy asked._

 _Sharon chuckled, "Actually, more names than you would have guessed."_

 _"What?" Andy questioned, now very confused._

 _"As Rusty does, he immediately jumped to his own life. He thought I was suggesting he have TJ stay."_

 _Andy started to laugh even louder now, "Oh, that sounds just like you, Sharon. Mom of the Year," he chuckled again._

 _"Yes, I realize I have an adult child living with me, but that was not a conversation I was trying to initiate. Anyway, you will be glad to know he was horrified at the idea, and then if he couldn't get any more disgusted, I dropped the bombshell that I was referring to myself and having my own overnight guest. You will be relieved that in that discussion, only your name was discussed."_

 _"Oh, that is a relief. You think you know someone," he teased. Sharon chuckled._

 _"Rusty is truly horrified to think of us in a romantic relationship, as I would expect of anyone thinking of his parents in that capacity, but we did talk through it mostly," she told him._

 _"So, there was no screaming or ranting?" Andy asked._

 _"No, he did try to dismiss it and tell me that he didn't want to know, but I did explain that as much as he doesn't want to know, this is something that does affect him. While he ended things by telling me he basically couldn't stop me from living my life, he did say that he planned to be truly horrified and disgusted by you," Sharon explained._

 _"Hmmm, rough age to face the reality that your mom is involved with someone," Andy stated._

 _"Yes, and in some ways, it's a rough age to realize that your mom is involved with someone you know very well and have had in your life for years. He will adjust, but I felt that I needed to have the conversation now before we get to that step in our relationship," Sharon said._

 _"That was good thinking. Last thing we want to do is spook him because we avoided the discussion. And, I really don't want to try and hunt Rusty down when the time comes to almost ask permission," he added. "As we are trying to keep as much as we can private, it's best the idea is planted now rather than when the time actually happens."_

 _"Yes, my thoughts exactly. I meant what I told you the other night, Andy. I am working toward that, letting you into my life, my heart, and eventually having you stay here. I'm not there yet," she sighed._

 _"I know you aren't there, yet, Sharon. We also discussed we want to do this right because neither of us see this as just a quick romance, a silly fling. We are a team and will work through all of this together, as long as it takes. I'm very proud of you for speaking to Rusty about that. I know it wasn't easy," Andy said._

 _"No, but it was necessary. I felt the need because he lives here. If he were older and lived away as do Ricky and Emily, I would not have included him in that part of our relationship, but he does live here," she explained._

 _"And, that's fine, more than fine," Andy told her. "Ricky and Emily aren't around me as much either. I know they like me, but Rusty is around me every single day. I don't want to disrupt his relationship with you or with me. It's too important."_

 _"I agree. He is going to have to get used to the idea of seeing you as more of a permanent fixture in his life. I wanted to plant that idea now," she told him. "Of course, he'll never look at me the same again," she groaned._

 _Andy chuckled, "Is there anything I can do to help correct your tarnished reputation?"_

 _"Hmm, yours is equally tarnished, perhaps even more than mine. Remember, he said he was would be disgusted by you. He even pointed out that he cringed at the thought of walking in and seeing you in your bathrobe some morning in the kitchen," she said._

 _"Ahh, well, at least I'd be in my bathrobe," he chuckled. "In all seriousness, is there anything I can do to help?"_

 _"I have an idea," she told Andy. "Come over in the morning. I think if we address the elephant in the room right away, it will not be quite so awkward."_

A knock drew her from her thoughts, and she smiled as Amy walked in with a stack of paperwork.

"Looks like a paperwork day, Captain," she smiled as she handed her the forms.

"Indeed," she nodded, "and sometimes paperwork is a welcome break from solving murders."

* * *

 **I really think that Andy and Rusty grew a lot in these episodes, even if we didn't see it on the screen (I also think they grow even closer in episodes 11-14 with Andy's health scare, but even by then, we can see the two have made a lot of progress from say episodes 6-10). In my mind, they would have had some of these "family" discussions. Many don't think Andy and Rusty really were that close before Andy started to date Sharon, but I've always liked the two together. He goes to Andy for advice on his mom and addiction. He goes to Provenza for similar things, but he seems to know that what he tells Provenza will be held in confidence. As Rusty watches Andy and Sharon grow closer, it is my belief that he knows what he tells Andy could and most likely would get back to Sharon. Anyway, I liked the idea of Sharon and Andy both speaking to Rusty, almost setting things up for the scene in Episode 9 where Rusty tells Andy if he's going to be in his life more...**


	29. Chapter 29

"We got 'em," Andy sighed as he sunk into his service vehicle. He ran his hands over his face, and he looked over to see that Sharon was silent and staring straight ahead. He reached over and took her hand in his. That caught her attention, and she turned to him.

She shook her head, almost ready to let the tears flow. Instead, to break the tension, she cleared her voice, "If anyone has ever fit your description of a dirt bag, it would be those two felons. Killing police officers in the line of duty," she sighed. "Senseless," she shook her head.

"Yeah," Andy grunted as he turned on the car. "We don't have to start driving back to work, but you've got to be warm in that sweater right now," he gestured toward her. She just nodded. "Great work with that dirt bag. He never would have imagined you would pull your weapon on him."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded. "The plan went very smoothly, which I am grateful. Thank you for being my backup," she turned toward him finally as she offered a small smile.

"Anytime and every single time," he winked to her. He tugged on their joined hands again. "What do you say to coming over for dinner later? It's quiet at my house, and we can decompress from all of this in peace and quiet, not that I mind Rusty being around if you would rather go to the condo."

"No, that sounds nice, perfect actually," she sighed as she looked out the window again. "Two men killed those good, decent police officers just because they wanted to do so. Andy, I just hate our jobs on days like this. That could be either of us, really any of our team, on any given day. I think this case is hitting me harder than others right now, and it's finally hitting now that we've caught the murderers and are finally catching our own breaths."

Andy nodded. He pulled Sharon's hand up and kissed it, "I know. I can tell, and I'd be lying if I didn't say it hit me too. You're pretty important to me, and I couldn't imagine standing there to watch that for you. It was all I could do to not reach over and grab your hand at the crime scene the other night when they were loading the officers. We never think a day could be our last."

"You're right," she sighed. "I don't know if that is good or bad. I don't want to live in fear, but I also feel we sometimes need to realize that life is short."

"Somewhere in all that, there is a balance," he told her. "Let's head back to work, to wrap this case, so we can get out of here this evening, okay? I just want to wrap my arms around you and sit on the couch and hold you all evening." He continued to look at her until she made any movement. She rubbed her thumb over his hand and nodded in agreement.

"That's all I want to do too," she nodded. Andy pulled the car out into traffic, and the two rode in silence back to the office. Both were reflecting on the events of the past few days. Losing police officers was always tough. Now that Sharon and Andy were in a relationship, an evolving, caring, personal relationship, it made it that much harder to fathom the idea of that happening to either one of them. It was almost too hard to digest.

The rest of the workday was quiet. No one wanted to talk; it was just the mood. They had been going non-stop since the shootings had occurred, and now, each person was taking time to process the situation. Life would go on, for them, at least, but the reminder that life was a precious gift, was not lost on them. Once they finished at work, Sharon excused the team. She wanted to remain behind to wait for their office to be cleaned up; she appreciated all the volunteers and extra help, but now that the case was done, she was ready to get back to having just her team in the area. She didn't feel right leaving while things were still out of order, so she stopped at Andy's desk to tell him to head home.

"I hope to be out of here soon, but please go ahead of me," Sharon told Andy. He opened his mouth to protest, and she raised one hand, "Please. I want to get out of here as badly as you do, but it will make me feel better if you head home and get whatever ready for dinner. I'll eat anything."

He nodded, "I'd prefer to wait, but I'll go because you asked me so nicely," he smiled warmly at her. "Chinese tonight?"

"I'll see you at your house," she nodded and turned to move away from his desk.

Later, as she pulled into his driveway, she thought about the drive over to Andy's house, and it disturbed her she didn't remember more. Yes, she remembered calling Rusty to tell him she'd be late; he had his own plans. She told Rusty she'd be at Andy's house for dinner and would see him later. After that, she didn't remember much of the drive, as she spent it thinking about the two fallen officers.

Andy opened his door as she walked up the front steps. She offered a small smile; it didn't surprise her he was waiting for her. Once she got inside, she quickly wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her tightly against himself, and the two just stood there and embraced. Neither said anything. They were just glad to hold one another after the case. Andy ran his hands up and down her back as the two continued to hold each other. Minutes passed, and finally Sharon let out a half sigh and half whimper.

"It's okay," Andy said quietly and kissed her head. He felt her head nod, and he sighed too. "It wasn't us. We are both still here."

"It could be either of us, any of the team, on any given day, though," she mumbled into his shirt where her face was pressed.

"It could, but it wasn't today. We're here. This is just hitting us hard because for once, we finally know the reality is there that it might not be just another officer, just another friend. I think we are both realizing that losing the other here would be a lot harder. Sharon, I know we just started dating, but Honey, we've been emotionally invested in each other a long time. We are already very much attached to each other."

Sharon nodded in agreement, "I think that is why it's really hitting me, this case, today." She pulled back and wiped the stray tear from her face. She looked up to Andy and offered a small smile. "That is why tonight, there's no place I would rather be. When we've had tough cases in the past, I've gone home alone, and it's taken me sometimes a long time to get over a case. I've never wanted to drag Rusty or any of my kids into my cases when I could avoid it. Tonight, I'm just glad to be here with you."

Andy smiled at her and pulled back, "Well, then, let's sit down," he gestured to the couch, "where I've prepared a very casual, no pressure dinner."

"Candles and everything," she let out a small chuckle as she saw a scented candle on the table.

Andy shrugged, "I know you like lavender, and I just happen to have a few of those candles around the house. Come on," he reached down to take her hand in his. "Chinese food and mindless television; I'll watch anything tonight except for _Badge_."

Sharon smiled, "I can live with that agreement."

The two didn't say much while they ate. They did watch some "mindless" television, and once they had finished eating, the sat back and relaxed on the couch. Sharon tucked her legs up and curled up into Andy's side. Nothing needed to be said.

A knock at the door had them both looking at each other. Andy wasn't expecting anyone, so he stood to go to the door. He motioned for Sharon to relax, but she sat up and leaned forward as Andy got the door.

"Hey Lieutenant," Rusty said at the door. "Can I come in for a minute?"

"Sure," Andy nodded, "of course, you can always come in. Your mom is here."

"Yeah, I saw her car, and she'd told me she was coming over here. I need to talk to her, and well, you too, I guess," Rusty said. Sharon had stood at the sound of Rusty's voice, and she made her way to the door.

"Rusty?" she asked, her surprise evident at Rusty's arrival. He seemed to be nervous; he was fidgeting.

"Sharon, sorry to interrupt your evening," Rusty said. "I told the lieutenant I needed to talk to you."

Sharon met Andy's gaze. He was standing behind Rusty and gave a quick shrug of his shoulders to Sharon. She nodded to Rusty, "Of course, come in," she gestured. Sharon led Rusty to the living room and motioned for him to sit in Andy's recliner. "Have a seat." Both Sharon and Andy resumed their spots on the couch. Rusty looked around.

"So, was I interrupting any plans?" he asked.

"No, not at all," Andy jumped in. "Highly exciting evening here with Chinese and crappy tv," he gestured. "There's still some food if you are hungry."

"I kind of need to tell you something, something you are probably going to hear about at work," Rusty said as he leaned forward. Sharon looked over to Andy, and both could tell something was up.

"Go on," Sharon nodded to Rusty.

"I didn't really come to help. I mean, I didn't come to volunteer, even though it's actually the only thing I should have done. I know you think I volunteered, but I really wanted to get some background information on a guy related to my story," Rusty explained. He looked around, visibly nervous.

Andy threw a quick glance to Sharon, "Rusty, what's going on?"

"Sharon, you explained the tips and categories. I had the tip lady run a background check on the guy for my story. His last name is Wallace, and I know he knew Alice and was trying to find her. I just wanted to know if he was like legit. I wanted to find out if he was some serial killer or something. Turns out he has a list of arrests, but that doesn't mean he can't help with my story."

Sharon's face showed her anger. She gripped Andy's hand, which was on the couch next to her leg, and she turned to Rusty, full of anger, "You used police resources to run a background check? Rusty, do you know how wrong and illegal that is?"

"Yeah, okay!" Rusty exclaimed as he held up his hands. "I get it. I feel terrible about it, like total garbage. That's why I'm here! It's been driving me crazy, and I knew you would be so disappointed in me. I screwed up; I know."

"Rusty," Andy sighed and shook his head. He looked away, but he continued to hold Sharon's hand, or rather, Sharon kept hold of the death grip she'd taken with his hand. He knew she was mad and trying hard not to completely lose it with Rusty.

"Rusty! This goes against everything we do. We do not break the law. We are the law! I spent decades of my career dealing with cops who wanted to break the law, who thought their ideas were worthy of breaking the law. I cannot believe you did that. You are better than that. I get you are a journalist, but you will not break the law through me, through our jobs. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble that could cause for you, me, for the division? Rusty, I'm very disappointed."

"I know," he sighed. "I know you well enough that while you can still love me, you are disappointed in me, which is what I know you've said in the past."

"Rusty, I don't just tell you that. I've told all my kids that," Sharon sighed.

"Same here," Andy nodded. "That's something all parents tell their kids. I've had the same talk with my two. Rusty, you could get your mom in a lot of trouble. You acted before thinking, and that can be a problem."

"I get it. Like, I really do, now, but I know that getting it now is the problem. I should have made a better decision," he told them.

"Yes, you should have," Sharon acknowledged. She put her hands on her knees and sat forward. Andy moved his hand since Sharon had released it from its death grip, and he ran it reassuringly across her back. Sharon sighed as she thought, and Rusty sat there awaiting further instructions.

"Rusty, I will have to deal with this when I have the energy. I'm completely wiped out from this case. I would rather not yell at you while I am this tired," she said.

Rusty nodded, "Okay. I just needed to tell you and get that off my chest."

"Feel better?" Andy asked.

Rusty frowned, "No, I still feel like I did a pretty crappy thing."

"Yup, that's kind of how it works. You did, and you shouldn't feel good about yourself. Now, you've just passed that along. Yes, you needed to tell Sharon, but that doesn't release all blame. I know from AA that making amends to a problem is only the start."

"I'm seeing that already," he sighed. "Look, I needed to come here and tell you that Sharon, well, you too Lieutenant, because I am sorry. I respect both of you, the whole division, and I made a big mistake."

"Yes," Sharon said simply as she nodded.

"I'm going to get going," Rusty said as he stood. "I'll see you at home later, Sharon?" he asked. Sharon just nodded and offered a half wave as she looked toward her feet.

"I'll be home later," she told Rusty. "Be safe," she said. Rusty nodded at her, and he made eye contact with Andy and nodded at him before he started to the door. Andy stood and walked behind Rusty to walk him out.

"I'm sorry to cause all this mess and interrupt your evening," Rusty mumbled when he got to the door. Andy nodded and put his hands in his pocket.

"Rusty, she will appreciate you came over here. I appreciate it," he shrugged, "but, yes, this is an error in judgement. You know she'll deal with you when she's ready."

"I get that," Rusty nodded. "Night, Lieutenant."

"Be safe, Rusty. We both want you to be safe. No matter how mad she is or how bad things are, remember she loves you. You're still here, and you two will work through this."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I know I messed up," Rusty admitted again.

Andy nodded, "Forgiveness. You and I are both standing here, living proof, that your mom is good with forgiveness. Own up to it, as you did, and give her time."

Rusty threw a quick wave to Andy, and he walked to his car. Andy watched until Rusty drove away and then sighed as he closed his door. What a case indeed.


	30. Chapter 30

**I loved the flirty scene between Andy and Sharon in 4.8 when they went to view the surveillance at the _Badge of Justice_ set. I thought a scene before that would fit into their flirty mood while on the set. **

* * *

"Mike's show," Andy grumbled again as they pulled up to a stoplight on the way to the _Badge_ filming set. Sharon turned slightly in her seat and glanced at him, a full smirk on her face.

"Are you going to obsess over this, or are you going to enjoy the fact that we get a few moments alone here in your car? So far, all I've heard is you complaining about Mike's show. I thought we could enjoy this time; it's rare when we can be ourselves at work." She looked around the car, "No one is with us; it's just you and me, and yet, I feel like the third wheel," she threw a slightly humored glance his way.

Andy turned to her, his face now looking like he'd been scolded, "I'm sorry. You're right," he sighed. He reached over and intertwined his hand with hers, "I'll stop obsessing about Mike's show and focus on you. I'd much rather do that."

Sharon chuckled, "Well, I'm not so conceited that I only expect you to notice me or focus on me, but Andy, it's not healthy to continually obsess over that show."

"It really is terrible, you know," he glanced to her again. "I can say that because you make me watch it, you and the kid."

Sharon pursed her lips to keep from smiling as Andy continued to drive, "I'll remember that the next time it is on. I'll make a point to NOT invite you over that evening Rusty and I are perfectly content to watch it without grumblings from you."

"But, I want to spend evenings with you!" Andy complained. He looked to Sharon and flashed his flirty smile at her.

"You can't have it both ways," she flashed a smile right back at him, using her free hand to point at him.

"Fine, I'll deal with the show, but you have to admit that it's not Mike's show," he pointed to her.

"Hmm," she hummed. "You should just be happy for your friend. He has a good side job with that show, and we can be supportive of him, together. Part of being a good friend is supporting that friend even when circumstances may irritate you."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved. He had pulled his hand from Sharon's when he started to get agitated, and he reached for it again. "I'm definitely not irritated with you, and I'll continue to watch the show with you, if you'll let me."

Sharon hid a small smile, "I think that can be arranged. And, when you are at all thinking of complaining about your friend and his SHOW," she said loudly for emphasis, "remember what I said about being a good friend. You do things for someone even when you might be irritated."

He nodded, as it sunk in, "I get it. You've spent endless family gatherings with my extended family and ex-extended family. I know Sandra was less than kind to you for a long time, so I get it. You always went along, no complaining, to all my family functions. I have always appreciated it, and I'd like to say you won't have to see her at more, but it's just not true."

Sharon nodded, "Yes, and I'm sure when she finds out we are actually dating, as she poked at our relationship for over the last year, she'll try to irritate both of us even more. No, I'm trying to put my irritating thoughts of her aside and realize that I'm most likely never going to get rid of her. I'm with you, and she's part of that package."

Andy frowned, "Can I refuse that package, like a return to sender kind of thing?" he grinned then. "I want you, but I don't want Sandra anywhere near us."

"She'll be there, as long as we are doing anything family-related with Nicole or really either of your kids. I've accepted that, even as irritating as she's been in the past," Sharon told him as she laughed at his return to sender idea.

"Well, maybe she'll get off our backs and just relax. She won't have anything more to poke at if she knows we are officially dating, which I'm not going to ever be the one to tell her that. Keep me out of it," he grumbled.

"Nicole will take care of that; I have no doubt," Sharon said. "I hope my irritation of her will fade away over time, just as I hope yours will of _Badge_. See, we both have irritations to conquer," she grinned.

"Okay, fine," he sighed. He pulled her hand up to his face and kissed it. "You drive a hard bargain, Captain."

"Hmm, anytime you start to get irritated with _Badge_ , think of my irritation with Sandra. If you can get by both images, you get me in the end either way," she winked. "If you get over your _Badge_ irritation, I'll invite you over the evenings I watch it. If I get over my Sandra irritation, you get me too."

"That doesn't seem logical," he told her.

"Makes perfect sense to me," she shrugged with a teasing tone. "You should thank me for being civil to your ex-wife. I know the same cannot be said for Jack."

"Oh, please don't," he raised a hand. Sharon started to chuckle and patted his hand. "I won't bring him up, but let's be glad we have a better relationship with Sandra. Yes, she's not invited to come watch _Badge_ with us, but we can at least get through a meal with her when needed."

"My luck, she probably loves the show too," Andy flung his hand in the air as he sighed.

"Andrew," she said teasingly, and he nodded, throwing a smile at her.

"Looks like this is the place," Andy said as they pulled into the studio lot. It took them a few minutes to get through the security area, but soon they were parking.

"If you can keep your feelings in check regarding Mike's show," Sharon started to say and noticed Andy was rolling his eyes, "I'll make it worth your while later," she teased.

"How so?" Andy looked to her, now intrigued.

She shrugged, "You'll just have to see. I did plan to tell Taylor about us after this case, so at that point," she stopped talking and opened her door to get out. Andy sat there, dumbfounded, and then he sprang into action, realizing Sharon was already out of the car. He ran to catch up to her, which wasn't hard. She was purposely moving slowly, allowing him to catch her.

"Does that mean you'd come over to my place this evening?" he asked her eagerly.

She looked straight ahead as they walked to the building, "Possibly," she stated. "I'm not spending the night. We aren't there, yet, Andy," she explained. He just nodded.

"Oh, I know, but there's still plenty of ground to cover between where we've left things and that," he grinned. "We both love baseball, and they do often compare steps in a relationship to baseball terminology," he flashed another smile and then tried to catch her eye to wink at her. She continued to stare straight ahead; he could tell she was being evasive while also putting her captain's mask back on for the case."

"Hmm," she nodded. "I'll remember that." She glanced to her left, and she noted Buzz, Mike, and Special Agent Shea were walking up to them. Before they got there, she leaned in and quickly whispered to Andy, "Just remember to focus, not get upset about Mike's show, and when you find yourself going on a rant about it being Mike's show, that I'm telling you this right now for after the case-batter up," she smiled and turned to address part of her team, leaving Andy standing there almost speechless.


	31. Chapter 31

"How are you holding up?" he asked quietly as he entered her office and shut her door behind him. She was standing behind her desk, looking out over the LA skyline wondering how people ever worked through their grief. She turned slightly to find Andy standing next to her, not touching her because that wouldn't be appropriate at work, but close enough she could smell his cologne. She welcomed his presence.

"It never gets any easier, telling a family member about their loved one's death," she sighed as she shook her head and continued to look out the window. She could see him nod in agreement through the window's reflection. She relaxed her closed stance. Andy helped her relax, just his being there, next to her. "To think less than an hour ago we had such a happy moment in this office."

Andy nodded again, and he changed his stance slightly. He shifted and grazed his fingers beside hers now. She had dropped her hands to to her side, and he brushed alongside her fingers several times. He quickly squeezed her fingers in comfort and then pulled away. Sharon missed the contact instantly and turned her head toward him. He turned toward her and finally, their eyes met.

"I'm sorry you had to tell Gus about his sister. I'm still in shock Rusty solved the case, identified Alice, or Mariana," he told her. "The whole team is in shock, but most of all, we all hate you had to do that."

Sharon looked away from Andy and nodded. "Part of the job," she offered a small nod, "but thank you. I can't believe he solved it either. He made a couple of odd comments this morning at breakfast, but I never thought," she trailed off. Andy just nodded again.

"He knows you aren't happy that he dropped this in your lap. He told me that while you were talking to Gus. I guess I don't hide my emotions very well," he offered a small smile. That got Sharon to let out a quiet chuckle herself. "One look at me, and I think he was worried I was going to kill him myself. I'm still not sure; the thought has crossed my mind. I'm at a cross between being very proud and completely ticked off he put you in this position, you know, just showing up like he did."

"I know. I've honestly had those same feelings. He means well," she sighed, "but, obviously he still has a lot of growing up to do, a lot of thinking to do about the choices he makes. He still doesn't think about how his decisions impact others, as case in point today. Still, at the end of the day, Gus is left devastated and left without his family member. When I think of how I'm irritated with Rusty, I remind myself it's not about me; it's about helping a victim's family member."

Andy nodded, and he quickly squeezed Sharon's fingers again. He looked to the team; they were packing up to go home, which is why he'd come in search of Sharon. None had even thought about going home while she had been in here talking to Gus. They all still had reports to file, but Provenza had instructed them the reports could wait until morning. The case was being turned over to the FBI, so any paperwork was a formality right now, and they weren't in a hurry, especially after solving a case the FBI hadn't been able to solve in years. "So, umm," Andy scratched the back of his head, and he looked to Sharon, now with a somewhat guilty expression on his face, "I need to tell you something else."

Sharon turned so she was now facing Andy completely, "What? Did Taylor say something to you after we told him? Did he come and bother you? Andy, if he did," she stopped when Andy touched her arm.

"No, it's not about Taylor. That actually went well," he rolled his eyes. "You were right; it was fun to catch him off guard. I think he was almost speechless, and then he practically ran from your office," he chuckled, but then he stopped suddenly and got serious again. "No, it's not about Taylor."

"Then, what is it?" she asked, crossing her arms again as she resumed her defensive stance. "I know that look, Andrew Flynn, and you aren't telling me something. What now? Special Agent Shea? What did I miss while I was in here speaking to Gus?"

"Sharon," he said and paused to get her to stop rambling. He lowered his gaze and waited until his eyes met hers. "It's none of that. No, I need to confess that I already told the team. About us, I mean," he started to ramble himself. "I already told them before we told Taylor."

Sharon's eyes grew wide, "You what? Andy!" she exclaimed as she sighed. "I thought we agreed to wait until after we told Taylor."

"I know; I know," he raised a hand and nodded in agreement. "That was my plan. Look, it just slipped out."

Sharon narrowed her gaze at Andy, "How does it just slip out, the little tidbit that you and I are dating? Do you all bet who might be dating the boss? The team takes bets on everything else," she added.

"No, it wasn't like that! I was going to wait as we discussed; we decided to tell them after Taylor. Yesterday, we had that long afternoon waiting for the body to be dug up and removed. Then, this morning, we were all here before you, waiting for Morales to identify the victim. You were still on your way in, but the whole team was here. We got to talking about Special Agent Shea, and well," he shrugged.

"Walk me through this," she motioned with her hands. "I don't see how our personal life is tied to Special Agent Shea, and if you even think that anything we did last night because you behaved yourself on the _Badge_ _of_ _Justice_ set is tied to this and Special Agent Shea, think again."

"No! Look, I am trying to come clean because it really did slip out. Shea was saying last night he was going to need a drink after the long day. You know we all think the guy is crazy, but he did seem to take the discovery of the body kind of hard. We all waited there at the house until everything was finished, and then you remember that Provenza called you," he explained.

"Yes," she nodded. "I told him to send all of you home."

"Right, and so Shea was trying to get people to go get a drink with him. He hassled me because I told him I don't drink. Guy couldn't take a hint," Andy rolled his eyes. "Of course, the rest of the team didn't want to hang out with him at all, so everyone politely came up with their own excuse to get out of it. Plus, we still didn't know if and how the guy was possibly tied to the case. We couldn't exactly be seen hanging out with a potential suspect; I do understand some professional guidelines," he flashed a grin. When Sharon didn't acknowledge it, Andy continued, "So, the team was quietly trying to set up their own evening plans, even as a team. They asked me if I wanted to come get a bite to eat with them, and I just told them I wasn't sure, knowing full well that I wanted to spend the evening with you doing much more interesting things," he grinned again. Sharon didn't look at him, but he could tell she was thinking about their evening, when he saw her blush and look toward the floor. "This morning, when everyone was in the office, they started nagging me about where I was last night, about why I didn't come get something to eat with them. They knew Provenza had rushed home to Patrice, but they wouldn't let up on me. I told them I had been busy, and leave it to Buzz to point out it wasn't a normal meeting night. Then, Julio jumped in and said I must have doubled back here to take you to dinner, because you know, they have always known we go to dinner sometimes. I just got flustered, and after I got irritated enough, I just blurted it out. I told the team that I didn't come back here to take you to dinner because I made you a nice dinner at my house. Anyway, one comment led to another, and well, they know."

"Andy, it's not that I'm mad they know, but we had discussed not telling them before Taylor," she sighed.

"I get it, but obviously, Taylor didn't know before we told him. Look," he clasped his hands together, "I know I made a mistake. I'm sorry. I'm going to continue to repeat to myself that you are the boss at work," he smiled. "I will continue to respect that, and I will try harder to keep our personal lives out of the office."

"So?" she asked.

"Ahh, what?" Andy asked her right back.

Sharon changed her stance once again, going back to a casual almost vulnerable stance. She flipped her hair, "What did the team say?"

"Oh," he grinned. "They were glad to hear we are official. I know it will probably shock you to know that no one was surprised." Andy started to recount the morning's events.

 _"I know why you ditched us last night, Lieutenant. You came all the way back here to work to check on the captain. Did you two go to dinner somewhere?" Julio asked as he grinned at Andy. They were all seated at their desks, awaiting their instructions of the day. Until Morales called, they were at a standstill with the case._

 _"Julio, he's been on the outs with her lately, "Buzz noted. "Haven't you noticed they've both been acting weird? Lieutenant, I hope you two are going to be able to get along okay with whatever you have going on." Provenza grumbled something, but focused on his crossword puzzle. Everyone turned to him, but they turned back to Andy when Provenza refused to look up from his puzzle._

 _"Lieutenant, is that why Rusty has even been acting weird around here?" Amy asked, now curious herself._

 _"Guys, just stop," Andy sighed as he tried to focus on his desk._

 _"Andy, I'll email you the name of my favorite florist," Mike nodded to him. "That always helps."_

 _"Guys! Would you stop? We're fine! No, Sharon and I didn't go out to eat last night. We're not on the outs. We're doing just fine, more than fine. I cooked her a really nice dinner last night. We had a great evening," he grinned to himself. All eyes, Provenza's included, were now on him._

 _"Oh, would you wipe that grin off your face, Flynn?" Provenza sighed. Julio started to chuckle._

 _"Lieutenant, we all are detectives, you know, that, right?" Julio grinned._

 _"Fine! We're dating!" Andy exclaimed as he waved his hands around. "Grumpy over there obviously knows by the disgusted noises he's making. Yes, I'm officially admitting it. She will too, but you cannot say anything to her before we talk to Taylor."_

 _"Wait, you haven't spoken to Chief Taylor?" Amy asked. "That's a rule, or guideline, or something. Even Coop and I have done that, reported our relationship to our superior officers. Lieutenant, how have you convinced the captain to break a rule like that? I thought you would have talked to him a long time ago._

 _The team all started to chuckle, even though Amy's statement wasn't meant as a laughing matter. It was still funny because, yes, they had all assumed Andy and Sharon had been dating a long time._

 _"No, we really haven't been officially dating. It's only official now, so yes, that's the first thing Sharon wants to do; she wants to tell Taylor," Andy explained._

 _"Such the romantic, the captain is," Provenza said as he looked at his puzzle. "I'd run Flynn; the first thing your girlfriend wants to do is talk to her annoying boss about her personal life. Quite the romantic one, you've got there, Flynn."_

 _"Oh, stuff it! She's very romantic," Andy said, and as soon as he said it, he closed his eyes and groaned. "Guys, that cannot get back to her."_

 _"Well, I can't exactly unhear it, Flynn! I might have to clean my ears; Raydor and romantic are two r's that cannot ever go together," Provenza exclaimed._

 _"Sir, I'm happy for you," Julio grinned. "About time."_

 _"Thank you," he nodded as he smiled at Julio._

 _"I still need verification," Amy pointed her finger between Julio and Andy._

 _"Come again?" Andy asked._

 _"Verification," she nodded. "We've all heard this before, or various versions of it through your families over the last couple years. First, we heard the captain invited herself to your daughter's wedding, just as a friend," Amy gestured with her hands. "Then, we started to hear about these dinners, just friends, of course, enjoying dinner. We were told you took her to the Nutcracker. Who does that with their boss?" she questioned. "Then, more dinners, and some outings with Rusty, different charity events, baseball games, and the list goes on. Your daughter showed up to invite the family to go as a group to yet again, another Nutcracker. The captain freaked that day, more than any of us have ever seen. She was visibly agitated, and the looks she gave you," Amy made a face of distrust, "let's just say we were all shocked she actually went with you. You surprised her with Christmas here that you set up with her kids when we had to work. Do I need to continue? To clarify again, I need verification. We've all heard this song and dance before over the last two years, and each time we've been told you two are just friends, at least by her. You've led your family to believe on many occasions it's more than that, so why should we believe you now?"_

 _"It's true!" Andy exclaimed. "Look, I'm not exaggerating. You can ask her yourself. Just wait until after the case."_

"So, that's why they are all at their desks, still this late?" Sharon asked as she threw a quick glance to the room. Her blinds were still mostly closed from her conversation with Gus, but she had opened the ones on the side by Andy's desk as she escorted Gus out of her office area. She often wanted to shut out the rest of the world, but even in those moments, she enjoyed seeing Andy. Now that they were dating, she could admit he brought a smile to her face, a smile unlike any she had ever had.

"Ahh, yes," Andy nodded. "They are all waiting. Okay," he clasped his hands together as he met her gaze, "they were initially waiting because of the Gus situation. After he left and Rusty followed, Provenza did tell us all to go home. The team all looked to me and asked if I thought you would be okay. I assured them you would, and Julio even suggested it might lighten the mood if they all congratulated us.

Sharon chuckled slightly as she looked to the floor again. Andy reached out and grabbed hold of her hand. He couldn't resist anymore, "I'm sorry again. It won't be the last time I mess up in this relationship. I didn't intend for the team to know ahead of Taylor."

She nodded and tightened her grip on his hand, "I know. Andy, I do know you, the good and the bad," she teased.

He looked to her in surprise, "Bad? There's bad? I've otherwise been a model lieutenant for you the last few years."

"True," Sharon smiled. "It's really okay," she added. "I know you had good intentions. Now, I didn't say that I minded the bad side," she teased.

"Oh?" he flashed a grin. "Still chasing those bad boys like a teenage girl, Captain?"

"Apparently," she rolled her eyes. "You'd think I would have learned my lesson. Maybe I should have refreshed myself on your behavior with a quick look through your police file before I agreed to date you. Oh wait," she paused for effect, "that could never be a quick look. It's a book, a novel, really, that would take me a couple of years to sift through. Hmm," she shrugged. "No one ever considered it took me so long to admit we were dating because I was working my way through your file, trying to weigh the good and the bad." She flashed a bright smile at him; she was shaking off the rough conversation with Gus, and Andy was more than happy to flirt and tease her to get her out of work mode.

"To think this relationship could have started years earlier if only my file had been smaller," he winked.

"I guess we'll never know," she squeezed his hand and let go. Now, why do I feel facing the firing squad here is going to be worse than my overnight guest conversation was with Rusty?"

Andy grinned, "We could make this really easy. We could confirm everyone's suspicions if you just let me kiss you right here at work, in front of all of them."

"Not happening," she grinned. "You're still in the doghouse for telling them anyway. Now, we will have a serious discussion if you ever discuss anything we do in private."

"Oh," he nodded, trying to look concerned, but in reality, understanding her statement, "I'll try not to tell them about what we do on the weekends or where we go to eat."

"That's not what I meant by private," she pointed at him.

"I know," he flashed a grin. "I just wanted to make you blush again, and there it is," he smiled. "What's the saying-'A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell?' I know it's something like that. You're in luck with me; you get an officer and a gentleman," he winked and gestured for her to join him as they moved toward the team.


	32. Chapter 32

It has been another long day, but that wasn't a new thing. In fact, Sharon wasn't sure why she was so surprised when they had these long days. Maybe she was holding out hope that for once, she would have a "normal" week. Anymore, she wasn't even sure what normal was. What she did know was that nowadays, normal included spending some part of her evening with Andy, whether going to eat with him, making dinner with him, or even talking with him on the phone late at night. Tonight, she hadn't done any of that, and as much as she wanted to pretend it was okay if she didn't at least talk to him, she had to admit it wasn't anymore. She missed Andy, and she wanted to speak to him, even if it was only for a few minutes. She'd held off on calling him all evening; she knew he was busy. He had volunteered to take Gus home with him, and she had wanted to give him time with Gus. Now, as she climbed into bed, she looked at her watch. It was well after 11:00, and she really wanted to call Andy, but she was worried the two could still be talking. She grabbed her phone and went a slightly different route.

"Are you still up? I wanted to call, but I wasn't sure if you were talking to Gus," she typed. Sharon waited a few moments, and when she didn't see Andy start to reply, she put the phone down, turned off her light, and got comfortable in her bed. Her phone ringing less than a minute later scared her so much, even though she should have considered that Andy might call her.

"Hi," she said softly as she caught her breath.

"What's wrong? You sound out of breath," he asked her.

"No, I'm fine. The phone ringing scared me. I had just turned off my lights and was settling in for bed. I'm fine now," she told him.

"That's wicked, Sharon," he teased. "Now, I'll never go to sleep with the image of you all ready for bed in your bed. You can't do that to me. Here I was trying not to call you because I hoped you were long asleep, and you're just taunting me now by telling me you are lying there awake."

She laughed slightly as she shifted to get comfortable, "Hmm, I missed seeing you tonight. How is Gus?"

"Better," Andy said quietly. "He's had a lot of heartache in his short lifetime. Under his tough exterior, he's a good guy with a caring heart. He, like me, wants to fix his broken family. He's devastated about his sister, but he has hope he will find his other sister, Paloma. We talked for hours tonight. Guy definitely needed someone to talk to this evening. I sent him to bed about a half hour ago, and I haven't heard a sound from his room. I think he's exhausted-physically, mentally, and emotionally."

"You are a good man, Andy Flynn," Sharon said to him. "It was very kind of you to take him home. I appreciate your effort, and I know Rusty does too even if he acted ungrateful today at work."

"I didn't do it to get applause, but thank you," he told her. "Rusty was better when he dropped Gus off at my house. He told me thank you on his own, which is an improvement. He won't admit it, but he enjoyed spending the day with Gus. I think it was good for both of them."

"I think so too," Sharon said. "Rusty told me that they spent a lot of time sitting by the beach. That's always a good place to think. I'm glad he thanked you at least. I'm sorry he's being difficult. I think he's sorting through his feelings about us along with his surprise at actually solving his story; he's not sure what to do with his emotions. I do apologize."

"You do not need to apologize for Rusty. I've known the kid as long as you have. He's working through things; granted, I seem to get the brunt of his irritation, but I can take it. I told him he was welcome to stay and talk with Gus and me tonight, which he stayed for about 15 minutes, but then he decided to head home. It worked out fine. He wasn't rude to me, which is better than I had hoped. Progress, I guess."

"Yes, progress, but I didn't call you to talk about Rusty, even if I'm glad to hear he wasn't rude to you with Gus," she said sweetly.

"Oh?" he asked. "Then, why did you call? Surely, it's not a case, Captain."

"Not case related, although, this is an odd case," she told Andy. "I called to talk to you, Andy, and to tell you that I miss you."

"I definitely miss you. Gus was okay company at dinner, but nothing like talking to you. The rest of the evening with nothing like our evening here the other night."

"I should hope not," Sharon teased. "I would be worried if you were spending that kind of time with Gus."

"My couch still smells like your perfume. It's starting to wear off, but I can still smell your perfume. I think you'll have to come over again soon so I can get the perfume smell again. I can no longer say my chair is my favorite place to sit. My favorite place is on the couch where I can smell your perfume. Plus, I like thinking about making out with you on that couch," Andy said with his flirty tone.

"Your couch is very comfortable, so I just might agree to that in the future. Let's wait until Gus isn't staying at your house. He doesn't need to see that," she chuckled. "In fact, if we fell off the couch again with him there, he'd probably call an ambulance."

"I'm just glad we didn't need one the other night," Andy groaned. "I can't believe we rolled off the couch."

"I think you rolled me off the couch. I didn't just roll off it," Sharon teased.

"I rolled you off the couch? Hey, listen there, Radyor-if you weren't so hot, I wouldn't have gotten so lost in the moment and realized we were about to roll off. I'm just glad that you landed on top of me. I would have felt even worse had I rolled on top of you on the floor. I hope I was a decent cushion for you so the fall wasn't too traumatic," he teased.

"Oh, it was traumatic alright," she laughed. "There I was minding my own business. Then, I find myself being pulled with you as you flipped over the side of the couch. At least I didn't break my glasses."

"Your hands were not minding their own business, Captain. I will disagree with that. I believe your wandering hands got me so worked up that I didn't realize how close to the edge of the couch I was, and when I tried to shift for your wandering hands, bam, we both flipped onto the floor," he explained.

Sharon continued to laugh, "I'm not sure what is more comical in all this, whether it's that we fell off the couch, or that we then just continued to kiss there on the floor."

"When you're hot; you're hot," he teased. "Obviously, I wasn't interested in comfort at the time. The floor suited me just fine. Now, the next day, my back was disagreeing with that choice."

"Oh, I thought I was going to lose it that morning when I heard Provenza ask you about your back. Remember? I was walking through the room, on my way to get a cup of tea. You had just stood at your desk to stretch, and I heard Provenza ask why you were doing that.

 _"Flynn, what's going on with you today? Are you doing some new exercise routine? Does this have something to do with another one of your dumb diet ideas?" Provenza asked._

 _"No, okay! I'm just stretching. Do you have a problem with that?" he grumbled._

 _"You don't stretch at work. What gives today? Why do you look like you are in pain?" Provenza asked._

 _"Maybe because I am! I hurt my back last night. I'm just trying to stretch it out," Andy explained._

 _"What did you do to your back? Roll out of bed like a five-year-old?" Provenza teased him._

 _"Ha ha, very funny," Andy threw a glance to Provenza. "No, I just pulled something. I think I just stayed in the wrong place too long."_

"Oh, when you said that as I was walking through the room, I really thought I was going to burst out laughing. Luckily, I held it in until I got into the hallway. Provenza would have died had you told him what you had been doing to hurt your back."

"Don't you mean who I was-" he started to say. Sharon cut him off.

"Andy! Let's not be crude," she sighed. "Focus."

"That's the problem!" he exclaimed. "I'm too focused on you and what we were doing the other night. I have to say, Sharon, I think Nicole is right about the 'Sharon Effect,' now."

Sharon burst out laughing, "Somehow, I don't think Nicole's 'Sharon Effect' is what you have on your mind right now."

"Well, I've come up with my own definition of the 'Sharon Effect' and would happily explain my version of it to Nicole," he teased.

"Oh, please don't. It's embarrassing enough the kids are talking about us. I can only imagine what they are saying. Rusty doesn't understand being discreet, and I can only assume each time he's walked in on us kissing anywhere, the kids have all been told about it. Let's not explain intimate details of our lives with Nicole," she teased him right back. "None of the kids need to know we got so caught up in each other we rolled off the couch," she laughed.

"Next time she brings up 'Sharon Effect,' you know where my mind is going," he explained.

"Hmm, I guess if we are standing there with Nicole when she brings it up, I'll just be glad you mind is wandering and not your hands," she told him. Sharon started to chuckle.

"Well, the 'Sharon Effect' has my hands wandering whenever I'm near you now. I must say, Captain, that now that I know a lot of what is under those suits," he sighed, "it's hard to focus at work."

"While that might be true, I need you to focus at work, Andy. If you can't, I'll resort to wearing pants and turtlenecks all the time," she teased.

"Hey, at least turtlenecks are very form-fitting," he grinned into the phone.

"Fine! I'll wear a coat over it, no matter how hot I might get," she sighed.

"Your leather coat?" he asked hopefully. "If you wear that over a turtleneck, I'll be the one getting hot. Sharon, I don't think you get it, Sweetheart. You could wear a paper bag to work, and I'd still find it sexy. The paper bag would be nice because I'd have a great view of your legs."

"This is sounding like you are in need of a trip to harassment training," she chuckled.

"Hey, one of the things they ask you to do in that class is write out a statement on how you plan to remedy any issues at work. Now, my version would most likely not be PG, and they probably wouldn't like that it involved my captain in my written statement," he teased.

"Stop," she continued to laugh. "This conversation is getting out of hand. Somehow, I'm sending you to a harassment seminar, where you seem to think writing intimate details about our lives would be an appropriate topic. That can't happen," she chuckled.

"Fine by me," he agreed. "I could have told you a harassment seminar would be a waste, and it would take me away from the office. I really hate being out of the office, especially if I might missy you in a turtleneck and a leather coat."

"I really don't know why I agreed to date you," she told him. "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to wear either article of clothing again to work. You've made both items sound, ahh, what's the word?" she trailed off.

"Sexy? I'd go with that. Back to my original statement, anything you wear, Sharon, is sexy, even if it's just an old LAPD shirt at home with one of your sweaters over it and your hair up. Now, that's a look I enjoy too. We can go on and on about all the looks I enjoy. Someday soon, though, I hope to enjoy another look. It involves a different approach to clothing, though, one of a minimalist approach to clothing," he teased.

"Minimalist?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know, as in not much at all?" he grinned again. "I'll keep it classy, though right now," he added, "for your sake and just let your mind wander on that idea. I've liked all your wardrobe choices through the years, but in the future, I think minimalist might take over as my new favorite. Someday," he added. "I look forward to whenever I might see that look in the future."

"Let's just keep all discussion of my wardrobe to ourselves, hmm?" she asked. "I don't think Provenza would make it through the day if you started discussing the minimalist wardrobe idea with him."

"Oh, he might retire if I put that thought in his head," Andy chuckled. "He's just starting to get used to the idea that I even kiss you. Anything more, and I think the old guy would pack up the stapler and leave the building."

"Okay, can we move on from the discussion of my wardrobe, or apparent interest in lack thereof?" she teased him.

"Hmm, such a party pooper," he sighed. "You claim you have a sense of occasion. I was enjoying it myself, but for now, we can move on. I reserve the right to revisit your lack of wardrobe in my presence at a later date."

"I'll grant you that," she grinned. "I might not be able to keep a straight face next time Nicole does mention the 'Sharon Effect' though after hearing your thoughts on the subject."

"Like I said, how do I focus knowing what's under the power suits, Captain?" he grinned. "Now, I'm going to let you get your beauty sleep, not that you need it. You're beautiful no matter what, but I really want to see you smile tomorrow. I know if you're tired, you don't smile as much. I really want to see a smile, so get some sleep."

"Okay," she told him. "You need to get some sleep too. I can't have you even more distracted than normal," she teased. "Oh, I'm wearing black tomorrow."

"Ahh, perfect," he grinned. "I already pulled out a black tie. I was going to wear my dark gray shirt."

"Mmm, one of my favorites, but I have a secret," she teased. "I, too, might enjoy anything you wear to work."

"Who needs a harassment seminar now?" Andy exclaimed. They both laughed before silence descended upon them.

"Sleep well, Andy," she said. "I'll be thinking of you."

"You too, Sharon. Night," he said.

The next morning, Sharon was greeted with several texts from Andy. She laughed as she read through them while she got ready for work. She hadn't realized he'd sent her so many, as she'd been getting herself a cup of coffee when he sent all of them. She called him quickly before she joined Rusty in the kitchen.

"You are in a good mood," she chuckled when he answered.

"Can't a guy send his girlfriend some good morning emojis?" he teased.

"Sure, one or two would be normal. I scrolled back through my texts, and you sent me 18 kisses," she chuckled.

"I would have sent more, but Gus came out to the kitchen in search of coffee. He's getting a shower now," Andy admitted. "I figure I have to send at least one for every hour I can't kiss you during the day, plus some extras just because."

"It is quite the struggle," she admitted.

"If you would just let me kiss you at work," he trailed off.

"No," she said very quickly. "The other day in front of the team was a one-time kiss," she said.

"Ahh, now that was the best," he sighed. "After such a long case, then you having to tell Gus about his sister, at least we ended the day on a high note with the team."

 _Andy held the door for Sharon as the two stepped out of her office. He'd just 'confessed' to her that he'd already told the team about them. Andy had also explained the team was waiting around to congratulate them, so Sharon had no choice but to face all of them. The two weren't even completely out of her office, when the team started their slow clap._

 _"Woohoo, it's about time, Ma'am," Julio led off the congratulations as the team continued their slow clap. Provenza sat at his desk, arms crossed, and rolled his eyes, while he shook his head at the couple. They stopped next to Andy's desk and looked to everyone. Sharon tried not to show any expression on her face._

 _"Yes?" she questioned as if she didn't know what the team was excited about right now. They all paused as they looked to her, not sure if she was serious or joking._

 _"Oh, Captain, you and Flynn have the same grin!" Provenza exclaimed, slightly irritated. "Can we just all get this little celebration over and go home?"_

 _Andy glanced to Provenza, "Hey! You all have been telling me how much you wanted something to change. It's changed. I told you we're dating. Let's enjoy that moment," he grinned._

 _"Well, I wasn't wanting THAT change," Provenza groaned._

 _"Captain, I told the lieutenant I needed some verification of this," Amy gestured between them. "No offense, but in some ways, this seems like old news, and in other ways, we all wonder if it's the real thing or just the lieutenant dreaming again?"_

 _"It's real!" Andy exclaimed. Sharon reached over and patted his arm. She turned to the group, now, with a full smile._

 _"Yes, I will confirm that Andy and I are officially dating. As my team, you do need to know that and to know you have the right to report any problems you might have with this relationship to superior officers," she explained._

 _"Hey, if anyone has a problem with them, you come to me," Julio stood and pointed around the room. He flashed a grin, "I'll rough them up a little, Ma'am," he smiled. "Congratulations. I've been rooting for the two of you for a long time, and knowing how fired up each of you can get, I can only imagine what a Raydor-Flynn argument would be like," he chuckled. That got the team laughing too. Sharon and Andy just looked to each other and shrugged._

 _"Captain, knowing Andy as long as I have," Mike joined in the discussion, as he pushed up his glasses on his face, "good luck." He grinned, and the group all chuckled. Buzz nodded in agreement._

 _"This relationship will not change things here," Sharon started to say._

 _"Captain," Provenza interrupted her, "we all know you. You couldn't break a rule if you tried, and somehow, you've pulled Flynn to the dark side with you. As much as it pains me to say this, none of us have a problem with you two. I will say if you discuss anything personal at work, Flynn, I will throw up on your desk." He made a disgusted face to emphasize his point. Everyone laughed at that image._

 _"Okay, now that we've put our lives out in the open, please go home. We're off the clock. It's late," Sharon told them._

 _"So, it's real. It's official?" Amy asked again. "I just still want to hear that you are dating and not friends with benefits or something."_

 _"Sykes, really?" Provenza grumbled. "I don't need THAT image!"_

 _Sharon glanced to Andy, and she flashed him a grin. He could see the sparkle in her eye. "You did say we are off the clock," he nodded to her. "Technically, according to the rules we discussed," he started to explain, but Sharon cut him off. She leaned up and quickly kissed Andy and turned back to the group._

 _"That should answer any lingering questions," she said simply. "I assume I do not need to ask for your discretion," she nodded. "Now, go," she waved. "Good night."_

"I thought Buzz was going to fall out of his chair when you kissed me," Andy started to laugh. "That was the best. No one ever expected you would do that."

"Hmmm, I know," Sharon smiled into the phone. "I guess you have me breaking some rules every now and then. You're a bad influence," she teased.

"As we all agreed, we were off the clock. No rules were broken," he added. "So, if we wrap up this case before the weekend, do you still want me to invite the team over for dinner on Saturday?"

"I think that would be nice," Sharon told him. "We all had a nice time watching the Dodger game at the condo, and now that things are out in the open with us, it would be nice to just relax, just be us."

"Great. I'll float the idea to the team, dependent of course, on solving the case," he explained.

"Okay, then there is your motivation to get to work, Lieutenant," she teased.

"Leaving now, Captain. Finish getting your beautiful self ready, and I'll see you soon," he told her.

"Bye, Handsome," she said happily and hung up. She opened her bedroom door with a huge smile on her face, ready to greet the day.


	33. Chapter 33

"Hey," he knocked on her office door as he walked into the room. She looked up from her desk, not expecting to see him so quickly, smiled to him, and then she glanced to the conference room. There, she saw Gus talking to Andrea. Andy closed her door and moved across the room.

"Are they going to work something out?" she asked, closing the file she had been reading to give her attention to Andy. He moved over to sit in one of the chairs in front of her desk. He sighed as soon as he sat and glanced to her.

"I think so. Gus wants custody of Paloma, and we needed to convince him that a formal search for her isn't the best answer. That would only turn her back over to her parents, the same people Gus claims created this whole mess. He doesn't want her to go back to her mom and stepdad, so I'm going to search for her off the books," he explained.

Sharon nodded, "If you want any help-" she started to say, but Andy put up his hand.

"No, I'll do it," he nodded. "Thank you, but I don't want to drag you into this too. I promised Gus, and I'm going to search for his sister. I promised Rusty too," he added.

Sharon's expression changed as she tilted her head to meet his gaze, "You promised Rusty? How did he get included in your promise to Gus?"

"We just had a moment out there," he nodded to the hallway. "Rusty stopped me when we left the conference room," Andy said as he shifted in his chair. He leaned forward and folded both hands on Sharon's desk to close the gap between them. "Seems he told me that if I'm going to be in his life more, I need to come through on my promises. I promised to find Paloma; he's holding me to it," he explained quietly to Sharon.

"Rusty said that?" Sharon asked, now almost frustrated. "I'm glad he acknowledge you would be in his life more, but Andy, to almost challenge you-" she trailed off as she sighed.

Andy held up his hand again, "Hey, it's fine. He's talking to me. We're good. Sharon, I get it. He's trying to find his place with me. Yes, he knows me, but he's known me as the lieutenant, the guy he sees here at the office some, and the guy who would occasionally take you out. For a couple years, that was the extent of dating in his eyes. I wasn't a threat; he didn't have to get closer to me or open up any more than he had with me because we were fine where things were. Now, you and I are more serious. He's got to get used to me as Andy. I'm around more, and he's starting to see that. He cares about you, and he doesn't want anyone to hurt you, myself included. We both know he can be selfish, but he has a devoted side to you, and that's a good thing. He's watched his biological mother parade men in and out of his life. They didn't treat her well, so that's where he's coming from right now. I'm sure each guy made promises to Rusty and didn't follow through. Rusty wants to believe I'm different. You and I know I'm different from the men Rusty has known in his past, and this is one way I'll continue to prove that to him. You keep saying he'll come around, and our little moment in the hall was a step forward. I'm okay with that," Andy nodded to her.

"Okay," Sharon nodded to him when he finished. "Andy, you have done nothing wrong, nothing to cause Rusty to question you. I hate you feel you have to defend yourself."

"Sharon," he paused and waited for her to meet his gaze before he continued, "let me do this. I'll track down Paloma. I did tell Rusty not to hold me responsible for the outcome. You and I both know this may not end well for Gus. Rusty needs to understand I cannot control the outcome. I can find her, but I cannot be held responsible for what I find."

Sharon nodded again, "I will continue to reiterate that point with Rusty myself. Andy," she paused and gave him a small smile, "thank you."

"You're welcome," he winked to her as he stood. He tapped his fingers on her desk and leaned forward before standing up again, "You, my dear, are worth it, every conversation, every hurdle with Rusty." She offered a small smile as her cheeks turned red. She looked down as she started to blush. Andy stood upright and turned to the conference room, "They might be in there for quite some time."

Sharon followed his gaze and nodded, "I'll ask Andrea if she would like us all to wait. Where is Gus staying tonight?"

"I told him to stay at my place, at least through the weekend. I think he's headed back to Vegas, but the least we can do for the guy is offer him a place to stay. Plus, we need to find out what is going to be done about Mariana's funeral. If Hobbs can take care of that, Gus might stay here for a few more days. It's fine if he stays with me. He seems harmless. Plus, the guy doesn't know anyone here, and he lost his sister, maybe both sisters. I can handle Gus," he told her.

"Okay," Sharon agreed. "That brings me to the next question regarding the team getting together for the weekend. Do you still want to try and do that?"

Andy turned back and looked at Gus and Andrea in the conference room. He nodded, "You know, I think it could be good for everyone. Tell Rusty to come too. We can have it at my place, and Gus will be there. Maybe it will lift his spirits. The team seems to like the guy. What do you say?"

Sharon looked out to the team. They were talking and working. She looked to Gus and Andrea. Then, she looked up at Andy and smiled. "I think that would be good for everyone. Talk to the team, and if you don't mind, I'll invite Andrea as well."

"Consider it done," he nodded to her as he stepped toward the door. "I consider Andrea part of the team," he winked as he opened the door and stepped out to his desk. "Just don't ask her for more flirting advice," he grinned and closed the door.


	34. Chapter 34

She was running late, and she HATED to be late, especially to a party she'd helped organize. It also was unfortunate she had a lot of the food with her, and that wouldn't score points with any of the team. Well, Andy wouldn't care, she smiled to herself as she turned onto his street, and he was a member of the team, but still. She threw her car into the driveway, a bit surprised there was still a spot. It appeared most of the team had parked on the street, with the exception of Rusty's car being the only other one parked in the driveway. She smiled again, noting that it almost felt nice that both her car and Rusty's car were in Andy's driveway.

"Sorry I'm late," she said to the group when she opened the door. She found several people seated in Andy's living room, a few standing around in the kitchen area, and assumed the rest were in the backyard. At quick glance, she didn't see Andy or Rusty.

"Captain!" she heard and noted Amy and Cooper were in the living room talking to Julio. Julio moved to her side quickly.

"Let me get this for you, Ma'am," he grinned as he took her crock pot full of meat and moved toward the kitchen. Sharon nodded her thanks as she glanced around again, trying to calm herself from her frenzied state. She noted Andrea was in the kitchen talking to Morales, another invite Andy had told Sharon was part of the team. She took her purse from her shoulder and decided to leave it in Andy's room, out of the way. She moved through the house, putting it on his bed, and before she decided to rejoin everyone, she decided to freshen up in his bathroom.

Once she finished, she went in search of Andy and Rusty, knowing they were probably in the backyard with the rest of the team. She noted that Andrea and Morales had moved from the kitchen and were in the living room talking to the others, so she threw a quick wave to all of them before she went to the French doors leading to the backyard.

"Hi," she said, still a bit out of breath when she spotted Andy off to the side. He was standing there chuckling at the sight in front of him. Provenza was next to him, the two probably commenting on the rest of the group.

"Hey, you made it," Andy turned to her and smiled brightly. She returned the smile and walked to his side. He put his arm around her waist, and Sharon wrapped her arm around his back. She let out a slow hum as she settled, turning to both men.

"Yes, sorry I got held up in all that road construction. I will be so glad when they finish widening that road," she sighed.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Andy nodded. "Makes the drive between my house and yours really annoying."

"Here's a thought," Provenza stated as he turned to them and groaned at the sight of them next to each other. "You could just stop going to each other's homes, you know, call this whole thing off," he gestured between them.

Sharon looked up to Andy, as if that was a valid suggestion. He looked to her, eyes twinkling. "Nah," he shook his head as he winked toward Sharon. He leaned in and kissed her lips quickly, not before they both heard Provenza let out a loud groan. "I'll suffer through the road construction if it means I get to see her."

Sharon chuckled as she patted Andy's chest. She turned to Provenza, "Where is Patrice, Lieutenant? I was hoping to see her today."

"Oh, she is hoping to come later, Captain. She already had a visit scheduled to go see her granddaughter, you know, the one we arrested? I'm not exactly her favorite person, so I decided not to tag along on that visit. If she can, she'll stop by."

"I'm sorry to miss her," Sharon frowned. "If she can't make it today, perhaps we could all go to dinner sometime soon?"

Andy nodded as he started to laugh. Provenza just waved a hand to her, and the men turned back to their source of entertainment where Sharon also turned her attention.

"Oh, who brought the cornhole game?" she asked when she noticed the out of place object in Andy's yard.

"Mike," Andy said with a hint of annoyance to his voice. Sharon was about to ask why that was a problem, but Provenza explained it before she had to ask.

"Your boyfriend here, Captain," he said as he lingered over the word boyfriend and grimaced, "is mad because if you were to study the cornhole game closely, you would find it has a certain logo on it that annoys Flynn here."

Sharon tilted her head and tried to see the boards from where they were standing. She looked up to Andy for an explanation. He gestured, "Guy had to bring _Badge of Justice_ here to the house," he groaned. "I have agreed to watch that crappy show with you and Rusty because you both like it," he rolled his eyes, "but, why in the world did the guy have to bring official cornhole boards here from that show? It's bad enough he's given all of us t-shirts, and now, he has a game with the logo too," he groaned.

Sharon covered her mouth to keep from laughing, as she caught Provenza's glance. He nodded to her, and she cleared her voice before continuing, "Andy, it was nice of him to bring a game for everyone to enjoy. See," she gestured, "Rusty, Gus, Buzz, and Mike are all enjoying it. Maybe you and Provenza could play next?"

"Captain, I'm not playing that," Provenza gestured to the game. "I might not have the same issues with the show Idiot here does, but I'm not playing that," he nodded. "You women and that show," he shook his head. "Patrice likes it too."

Sharon bit her lip and looked to Andy. He sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm not complaining about the show," he gestured. "You and I agreed on that. I can be annoyed he rubs it in my face every chance he gets."

"He's not rubbing it in your face!" Sharon exclaimed. "He brought a game for everyone to enjoy. Did Cathy come too?" she asked.

Andy shook his head, "No, she is away visiting their one son at school. He just moved into an apartment off campus, and she went to help decorate this week."

Sharon pulled from Andy's grasp, and she took his hand in hers, "Try to let go of the irritation about the game," she gestured to the yard. "I promise you it will be in your best interest if you can," she grinned to him. Andy caught on and grinned back.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Are you two flirting? Captain, I think I've seen and now heard everything! It's bad enough I've watched you flirt with him for the last couple years. Now, I don't want to hear it too!" Provenza sighed. "I'm going to find out about this game." Provenza walked off, and Andy chuckled as he turned to Sharon.

"Hi, again," he said as he leaned over, closer to her ear. He kissed her again quickly and pulled back to look at her face.

"Hi, yourself," she said, as she wiped the lipstick off his face. "The ground beef is in the crock pot, ready to eat."

He nodded, as he pulled her hand along with his toward the house, "Good. Let's get the food ready, then. I think a Mexican theme was a good idea. Everyone was glad to hear we weren't ordering pizzas again." She nodded and followed him to the kitchen where she hadn't stopped earlier to survey everything.

"Andy, this looks great!" she exclaimed, a little surprised at the spread. A full Mexican themed meal had been set out, and she noticed her crock pot full of meat had been added to the table. He had put out chips, different dips, a cheese sauce, and there was an assortment of different shells and condiments for tacos.

"I can't take all the credit," he told her as he pulled more out of his refrigerator. "Gus apparently likes to cook. He offered to do a lot of this. As you know, Rusty came by early too, to hang out with Gus. He and Gus worked on all this. I supplied the ingredients."

"Gus and Rusty did this?" Sharon asked, smiling as she looked to the table again.

Andy shrugged, "They kept telling me it wasn't a big deal, but yeah. Okay to let the vultures know the food is ready?"

"Of course," she nodded. "Did you do chicken for the tacos too?"

"Yeah, Gus did. A Mexican theme was a good idea. Nice call," he grinned to her as he squeezed her side. "Guys, food is ready," he called to everyone.

Now that Sharon was back in the house, she looked around to speak to everyone else. "Amy, Cooper," she smiled. "Nice to see you both."

"Captain," Amy nodded to her. "The lieutenant said the Mexican theme was your idea. Good call," she leaned in closer and whispered that.

"Thank you," she chuckled as she looked to Cooper. "I hope you aren't on call today."

"No, Captain," he nodded. "I'm not on call either. Rare day Amy and I are both off." Sharon nodded in agreement as Andy leaned around and gave her a glass of wine. She turned to him and nodded.

"Thank you," she smiled. Andy moved next to her and joined the conversation.

"Of course, as we've learned," he smirked, "even on days we aren't on call, we seem to snag cases." The four chuckled, and Andy gestured to the food. "Please, eat."

"I most definitely will," Cooper nodded as he smiled to Andy and Sharon. "Plus, your get together keeps me from having to take her to an expensive dinner tonight. Always appreciated," he winked to Andy. Amy turned gave Cooper a glare.

"Just for that, I'll see what expensive place I can dig up for our next dinner," she stated.

"Have you tried Serve yet?" Andy asked.

"What's this I hear about Serve?" Morales asked as he walked over to the group. "Lieutenant, I take it dinner went well," he gestured to Andy standing very close to Sharon. "You two have been flirting like crazy in my morgue lately."

"We do not!" Sharon exclaimed as she turned red.

"Ma'am, you do," Julio grinned as he piled food on his plate. "We all think it's sweet, well, most of us," he grinned. "Lieutenant Provenza doesn't think anything is cute."

Sharon covered her face, and she felt Andy pat her on the back. He changed the conversation slightly, addressing the Serve comment. "Sykes, Cooper, if you haven't been to Serve, you should go. Morales has a friend who works there. Really good food, great setting, and it's romantic," he flashed a smile. "We enjoyed it very much."

"Andy!" Sharon sighed. "Enough."

He winked to the rest of them, "Yes, Dear." She smacked his arm again and sighed.

"This is shaping up to be a disaster," she sighed, joking, but slightly annoyed. "Where is Andrea? I'd really like to speak to her."

"Oh, she had to take a call," Morales nodded to the front door. "She's out there, but I'm sure she'll be in to get into girl talk shortly, Captain," he grinned.

Sharon nodded and turned back to Andy, "Perhaps you should tell your partner the food is ready? If he knew, I'm sure he would be in here pushing people out of the way."

Andy grinned at the image and nodded. He stepped away, heading toward the backyard, and Sharon turned her attention back to the group.

"Doctor, I did hear you suggested that lovely restaurant. Thank you for the recommendation," she smiled to him.

"My pleasure, Captain," he grinned at her. "I'm glad to hear the evening went so well."

"Hmm, now if we could just get Andy on board with Mike's show," she sighed, and Morales, Amy, and Cooper all started to laugh. Sharon didn't have to wonder if Andy had told Provenza about the food much longer. Suddenly, Provenza pushed by the team gathered by the table to start making his plate.

"Captain, Flynn said it's all you can eat style, so I'm eating. I'm planning to eat all afternoon," Provenza grumbled.

"Hi, Sharon," Rusty said as he walked inside in front of Andy. Gus was between Rusty and Andy, and she smiled as they all walked toward her.

"Rusty, it looked like you were having fun out there with the game," she said as she put her arm around Rusty's shoulder. He nodded. Sharon turned both Rusty and herself toward Gus. "And, Gus," she smiled, "you enjoy cooking?"

"I do," he smiled. "It's therapeutic, and plus, I figured I needed a way to pay back the lieutenant here, and all of you really, for being so kind and helpful to me. I appreciate it, even if I came across as being a jerk."

"No apology, Gus," Andy patted him on the shoulder. "Go, eat, and enjoy the food you made. Sharon brought some ground beef to go with the chicken."

"Flynn! Do you have dessert? I was told there would be dessert," Provenza complained.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Sharon exclaimed. "I have two trays of cookies and brownies in the car. Andy?" she asked hoping he would help her. He nodded and followed her outside. The two passed by Andrea who was on the front porch still on the phone. They both waved to Andrea, and she mouthed a, "Sorry" comment back to them as they walked to Sharon's car.

"Provenza might have come out here and locked himself in your car if he'd realized the cookies were all here," Andy chuckled as he accepted the platter from Sharon. She started to laugh too as she pulled the other tray from the car.

"I can actually see it now," she chuckled as the two walked back to the house. "There would be a pile of crumbs everywhere, and then Provenza would complain of stomach cramps all afternoon."

The smiled at Andrea as they walked by her again. Andrea caught Sharon's eye and made a face to her. Sharon still hadn't had time to tell Andrea about the relationship progress she'd made with Andy. She assumed Andrea saw it was obvious, but Sharon wanted to sit down with her to talk. She was hoping to do so today, but from the conversation snippets she and Andy heard as they walked by Andrea, it sounded like she had a work issue. Sharon just winked to Andrea as she walked by her. Andy held the door open, and the two moved back through the house.

Sharon and Andy had barely put down the cookie trays before Provenza pounced on them. Andy rolled his eyes to Sharon and gestured to the food. "Ready to eat?"

She nodded, and Andy gestured for her to get in line in front of him. Sharon found herself in line behind Gus. "You know," Gus leaned back to speak to Sharon, "the lieutenant kept mentioning Sharon. I haven't asked much; I didn't think it was my place. I could tell it sounded like Sharon was his girlfriend, and it didn't click until earlier you were the Sharon," he smiled. "I really should leave the detective work to the professionals. I didn't realize you two were a couple. Rusty didn't say anything either, but I noticed he was really comfortable here at the lieutenant's house and knew his way around the kitchen."

Sharon smiled as she squeezed his arm, "I've learned that even when you think life has other plans for you, things can change. If someone had told me five years ago that Andy and I would be where we are, I would have probably laughed," she smiled and then shrugged. "I know your life is a mess right now, and it's challenging to see that any good can come of all this, but it can. Let yourself heal. Life can surprise you."

Gus nodded in a small smile. He noticed the line for the food was moving and turned toward it. Andy gestured to her plate, "I know you can eat more than one taco, Raydor," he grinned. "Either you make a second taco, or I'll make it for you."

She laughed and nodded as she started to fix the rest of her plate. Before she could join the team on Andy's patio, she felt Andrea's hand on her arm. "We need to talk, Missy," she heard. Sharon smiled and laughed. Andy had heard the comment too, and he nudged Sharon to take her plate with him. She handed it over and followed Andrea toward the front door. The two women walked out onto the porch where they could talk.

"It appears I have been out of the loop for a few weeks?" she asked, not even waiting for the front door to completely shut. Sharon started to chuckle.

"Things are going well," Sharon nodded.

Andrea's eyes widened, and she smiled at Sharon, "The flirting worked, then? You finally got him to notice you?"

"No!" Sharon exclaimed as she sighed. She started to pace the porch. "He noticed alright," Sharon started. "He noticed that I was terrible at flirting, Andrea," Sharon chuckled. "When we finally talked, he told me that I was trying too hard. I was making things so tense. He even told me that I didn't need to try so hard to get him to notice; he'd noticed me just fine," she blushed as she told Andrea.

Andrea nodded as she smiled, "Good. So, you two finally talked, then. That's good. Sharon, flirting does work with some people, but only you two know what works for you. The big thing is you talked. It looks like that's broken a lot of the tension. When did you talk?"

"After the wedding case," Sharon told her.

"Sharon! That was a few weeks ago, now!" Andrea exclaimed. "Please tell me things have moved beyond you two talking. You seem much more comfortable around him, and don't tell me I didn't hear him call you Sharon at work, and you Missy, didn't correct him," Andrea stated firmly as she pointed to Sharon.

Sharon laughed, "Guilty. Yes, we have moved well beyond talking," she smiled as her eyes sparkled.

"Ahh, the captain and her lieutenant. Do we have a more official title, now?" she teased.

Sharon blushed and looked away, "We are moving forward. We are moving forward as a couple," she stated more specifically and looked to Andrea. It was obvious Sharon was happy by the expression on her face.

"Moving forward? Sharon, can you be more cryptic than that?" Andrea asked as she rolled her eyes.

"We're dating," Sharon said as she returned the eye roll. "Yes, we agreed we are dating. We've told Taylor, and we are taking things slowly."

"You've already told Taylor?" she asked, her surprise evident. "Sharon, you are serious, aren't you?"

"We are," Sharon nodded as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Very serious. Andy and I agreed this isn't some fling. We want to see where this goes for the long term. We have a lot on the line with our careers, our kids, our lives, and we want to do this right. We're moving slowly. The kids know, the team knows, but our private lives are just that, private."

Andrea narrowed her gaze at Sharon, "You aren't going to share any details, even with me?" she teased.

Sharon bit her lip and shook her head, "Hmmm, no," she smiled widely. "I'm sure Rusty or Lieutenant Provenza would be glad to share what they've witnessed, but no."

Andrea studied Sharon and smiled, "You really care for him, don't you? Please tell me you've kissed the man? I know you, and slow for you can be 20 years of a rotten marriage," she rolled her eyes. Sharon blushed as she glanced away, and Andrea noticed that, "Ahhh, so you've at least kissed him, and judging that blush you have there, Sharon, I'd say things are progressing nicely. Okay, fine, for now, I won't ask more, but I will pull it out of you. I'm happy for you, my friend, very happy," she smiled as she reached over to squeeze Sharon's arm.

Sharon met her gaze and let out a chuckle, "Oh, Andrea, I don't know why I am still so surprised things are working out as they are. I guess I am used to being unhappy with my personal life. I don't know what to do now that I'm actually happy. Andy makes me happy, and once we talked through everything, we realized we both wanted the same things. We just got lost in my terrible attempts at flirting. Honestly, I should have gone to him from the start. We had already built a solid friendship, and I didn't trust that. I didn't trust that he felt the same way, even though he'd been showing me he did for months, if not longer. He finally asked me on an official date, and we had a lovely time. The setting was romantic, and while we were both a little nervous, it went very smoothly. I think we were nervous we wouldn't be able to transition from friends to more, and we have just fine. More than fine," Sharon smiled at the thought. She glanced to Andrea and chuckled again. "I feel like a teenage girl again."

"Good!" Andrea exclaimed. "Sharon, you of all people deserve that. I am so glad to hear that. The guy is drop dead gorgeous, and I promise you, if you weren't ready to claim him, I had a list of women in my office ready to pounce," she grinned. "I've held them off, telling them he's seeing someone," and when Sharon started to stay something, Andrea held up her hand. "Of course, I haven't mentioned who he was seeing, but just that he was serious about someone. I don't think people will be surprised to hear it is you."

Sharon groaned, "That's the one thing I hate, people gossiping about this at work. I don't want to seem like the typical boss chasing after her subordinate."

"Sharon," Andrea glared at her, "you are not that. You've climbed the ranks; you're a police captain! The man has been crazy about you for years, and finally, you two can be happy. Enjoy that. Anyone who knows the two of you knows you both deserve this. Taylor didn't have a problem, did he?" Andrea asked.

Sharon shook her head, "No, in fact, we shocked him," Sharon grinned as she started to laugh. "He got all flustered with us. It was quite funny, but we hadn't even finished telling him when Rusty brought Gus to the office. So, things have been slightly chaotic."

"Hmm, well, then why are you out here when you could be eating with your lieutenant?" Andrea grinned. "Come on; let's go back to the party. I've been waiting to see this for quite some time, you two together. I don't want that smile of yours to disappear."


	35. Chapter 35

**We've reached the last chapter. I want to thank all of you who have left some amazing reviews! I really appreciate them and the time you took to write them. I thought it was appropriate to end this story after episode 10, which was also the time the show went on hiatus before the next set of episodes aired. As with the season, some chapters have been comical, but this one had to have a more somber tone. Hope you enjoy and thanks again for sticking with this story!**

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It was a somber day; it had been a somber few days. It was never easy investigating a murder. It was even harder to investigate the murder of a friend's family member. Sharon had hated delivering the news to her friend, a trusted colleague, about her son's murder, but she'd done her job. The team, all of them, had done their job. Sadly, the murder was much more complicated than they had previously imagined, and Sharon always hated seeing sad cases such as this.

The somber case carried over to the task of the afternoon, burying Mariana. Gus had given Andrea the information she needed, and right now, the only thing keeping him in LA until the trial was the burial of his sister. Andrea had arranged, along with Andy's help, the funeral for Mariana, and it was now time to close things at the office and head to the cemetery. It would be another somber afternoon. Sharon looked out, glad to see a bright light, or a bright spot, in the dark day.

"Is everyone ready?" she asked as she closed her office door and looked to Andy's desk. He was standing at it where he was collecting his keys and phone. He turned to her and quickly moved to her side to help her put on her suit jacket.

"Yeah, you know Provenza is off with Sykes dealing with the case," he waved toward their desks. "Just spoke to him, and they are going to meet us at the cemetery. Mike, Julio, and Buzz already went downstairs. I told them we'd be right behind them."

Sharon nodded, "Rusty sent me a text about a half hour ago. They were leaving the condo and headed this way. He's been very good with Gus the past few days." Andy nodded and looked to Sharon's side. He raised his eyebrows when he didn't see her laptop bag. She shrugged and said, "I figure after the case and the funeral today that I don't need to worry about work this evening. I'd really like to focus on you, on us," she smiled. "I was hoping you could come over, and we could make dinner and have a normal evening."

Andy let out a slow sigh as he smiled, "A normal evening sounds wonderful. Ready, then?"

Sharon nodded, and the two walked side by side to the elevators. Sharon sent Rusty a quick text while they waited on the elevator and turned to Andy, "Rusty said they just parked. He and Gus are going to meet us at the elevator to ride to the cemetery."

Andy nodded again. Sharon moved closer to him in the elevator and squeezed his hand quickly as they watched the numbers drop, floor by floor. As the elevator neared the parking garage, Andy spoke again, "Are you ready for this?" he asked quietly.

Sharon turned to him, sorrow on her face, "I am. The question should be directed toward you. This case was a hard one for you from the start. Are you ready for this today? You've gotten to know Gus, and that must make this even worse."

He nodded, as the door opened, and he slipped his hands into his pockets, "I'll be okay. I'm glad she has a name, a family to mourn her. I know Gus never wanted any of this, but she's being put to rest properly."

Sharon reached toward him, her hand extended, and Andy quickly put his hand in hers. He didn't have to be told twice. He squeezed her hand as they stepped out of the elevator. Sharon glanced around, but she didn't see Rusty or Gus. Andy nudged her shoulder and gestured toward her car, which wasn't far away from them. The two were standing by the car.

"We can take a service vehicle," he suggested. She nodded, and Andy reached into his pocket. "I grabbed both sets of my car keys. I'll drive if you like."

"Please," Sharon let out a long breath as they reached Rusty and Gus. "If you two are ready, Andy's going to drive one of the service vehicles."

Rusty glanced to Gus, and he nodded as he glanced to the ground. They all knew it was a rough time for him. Andy gestured to the line of service vehicles on the opposite wall of the garage. "I've got the keys to the blue one," he nodded to the boys, gesturing to the vehicle. They both nodded and started to walk toward the vehicle. Sharon gripped Andy's hand tighter as they walked to the car, and he opened the door for her.

"Closure for everyone," Sharon told him quietly as he held the door. He nodded, and she slipped into the car. Andy closed the door and moved slowly to the driver side.

Once the four were in the car, Andy made his way out of the parking garage. The car was quiet; it was a time for reflection. As soon as he turned onto the surface street, Sharon reached for his hand. This funeral, a funeral for a once victim, felt like one for a family member. The drive to the cemetery continued, with Sharon and Andy holding hands while the ride was silent. Sharon glanced back toward Rusty a couple times; he was sitting behind Andy, so it was easy for her to check on him. He looked out the window, but Sharon wasn't sure he was looking at anything. She knew he also had a lot of emotions as they drove through the streets of LA.

"There's Mike," he nodded to Sharon as they pulled into the cemetery. Mike, Julio, and Buzz were stopped just inside the cemetery entrance, with the other officers who would be assisting, waiting for them. Andy offered a quick wave and nod to them as he drove by, and Sharon noticed they followed behind them to the gravesite. "Provenza is here," Andy nodded. Sharon returned the nod, and he parked the car.

"Gus, we can-" Sharon started to say, but Gus spoke up.

"No, I'd like to go to her alone," he told them. "Just for a moment." They all got out of the car, and Sharon noted Provenza walking to her. She looked back to Rusty, and he nodded to her; they didn't always need to communicate. He was going to stay behind and follow Gus.

As Sharon talked and walked with Provenza, Andy followed closely behind. It felt like second nature to reach for his hand when they followed the casket to the grave. She clutched it tightly, with no concern to their relationship status here with their team.

It felt good, if that was the appropriate term, to have Andy by her side during the funeral. She'd often noticed how his presence brought a calming feeling to her; it did once again today.

"You okay?" he whispered to her after the service. She had spoken to Rusty, tried to calm her son when she knew he was emotional.

"I will be," she said as she leaned into him. She felt his arm come around her side, and she knew he'd try to pull it back because they were around the team. He was being very respectful of their work and personal relationship. Without a thought to work boundaries, she tugged on his arm to keep it in place. Work was over; this was personal now, the funeral this afternoon. She'd had time to think about her life a little during the funeral. The thought of standing alone at any funeral from this point forward seemed cold, dark, and foreign to her. She realized she probably cared more for Andy than she could verbalize at the moment. She wanted him by her side; she didn't want to imagine moving forward in her life without him. "I'm better now," she whispered once again as they continued to walk toward the cars. Both could see Rusty walking ahead alongside Provenza. Gus was lingering; Sharon knew it was hard to let go of regret and a loved one.

"Rusty-will he be okay?" Andy whispered again. The two could see Provenza talking quietly to Rusty and Rusty returning the comments with a nod.

"He will be too," Sharon said quietly. "Are you okay? I worry about you. You don't always have to be strong for me, for us," she said.

Andy nodded as he squeezed her side closer to him, "I'm fine," he said quietly. "I'll be better when we can be together without an audience. I just want to hold you."

They reached the line of cars, and the team stood there waiting further instruction. Sharon and Andy walked to Provenza.

"Please go home," she told him as she looked around at her team. "All of you, go home; spend time with your loved ones."

They all nodded, and Provenza looked to Sharon and Andy, "I told Rusty I'd take him and Gus for burgers. I know if he gets stuck going to eat with the two of you, he'll be forced to eat salad. I figure least we can do is feed Gus before he heads back to Vegas."

Sharon nodded and looked to Andy. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he did, Sharon squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Lieutenant. That's very kind."

"Well, I haven't had the guy sleeping in my guest room. Guess I can at least get him a decent, well, a greasy meal. Flynn, is his stuff still at your place?" Provenza asked.

"No, Rusty picked up Gus and all his things. I'm guessing they are in his car at work," Andy explained.

"Well, you two go," he gestured to them. "I'll take the boys for food and deposit them back at the station."

Sharon reached out and squeezed Provenza's arm, to which he looked down at her touching him. She smiled to him, a silent thank you, and then she looked to Andy. "Perhaps we should say something to Gus before he leaves?"

Andy nodded, and they turned to find Gus slowly making his way back to the group. Rusty was standing alone off to the side against Andy's service vehicle.

"I'll speak to Rusty about the plans," Provenza nodded as he stepped away. Sharon and Andy walked to Gus.

"Gus, can we do anything more for you right now?" Sharon asked as she reached to grab hold of Gus' hand.

"No," he sighed as he looked to her. His eyes were red, but he had no more tears. "You've done so much, all of you. I don't know when I will pay you back."

"Not necessary," Andy said as he reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "It's the least we could all do. I meant it that you have a place to stay with me when you come back to testify. I'd be honored to have you stay with me again. I mean that."

Gus nodded in appreciation, "Thank you both, for this, for everything. I can't tell you how much it all means."

"Be safe, Gus," Sharon sighed. "We will be in touch." They both nodded to Gus and turned back to find most of the team heading to their cars. Amy had ridden with Provenza, but she was getting into the car with Mike, Julio, and Buzz. Andy nodded to Provenza as he stood with Rusty, the two waiting for Gus.

"Call me if you need anything," Andy told Provenza. "Thanks for taking them to eat."

Provenza shrugged, "We're a team. We're a family. This," he gestured to the boys, "is what families do, but if you tell the captain or anyone at the station I called all of us a family, I'll deny it, Flynn. You go," he waved Andy off. "Take the captain home. You two have been carrying the load of this case for a long time. I'll make sure Gus is fed and delivered to the bus station."

Andy reached in and pulled out his wallet, "Here, give this to Gus. He won't take it from me right now, but make sure he gets some cash. Guy has been through it and back. I know he doesn't have much. And, know I'll find out if you use it to pay for lunch," he leaned in and gave Provenza a glare.

Provenza waved to him, "Oh, go before I send Rusty and Gus home to spend the evening with you and the captain. I know you'd love that," he rolled his eyes. Andy chuckled quietly and patted Provenza on the shoulder before he turned to Sharon. She'd pulled Rusty to the side, and the two had gone for a short walk to talk.

"Ready?" he asked her. She nodded, and he opened the door for her. She climbed the car and leaned her head back where she closed her eyes. She heard Andy get in his side, and she smiled when she felt him reach over and squeeze her hand in her lap. "My Dear, where to?" he asked.

She hummed and opened her eyes as she turned toward him, "Let's get one of our cars, and then we can head to the condo. I have food so we can figure out something to cook."

"Sounds like a very good plan," he said as he kissed her hand. She settled in, looking at him, as he started to pull away from the cemetery. He threw a quick wave to the rest of the team. Mike's car was ready to pull out as well.

"I finally feel like we put that case to rest," he sighed after they'd pulled into traffic. "Tough for Gus, but I'm glad we could give him that peace of knowing about both sisters."

"Yes," Sharon nodded. "As I stood there during the funeral, I realized I didn't want anyone else standing beside me but you," she admitted as she ran her other hand over their joined hands on the console.

"Oh?" he questioned as he glanced to her. "I guess I realized that quite some time ago," he admitted as he gave her a soft smile. "I know we're taking things slowly, but I know that I don't want to let you go."

"Hmm, yes, I'm realizing that myself, finally," she returned the small smile. She continued to run her hand over his.

"So, we continue to take things slowly," he repeated the phrase, one they'd said to each other before.

"Yes, but that's only because we want to do this right; we are both in this for the long haul," she added.

He nodded, "So, taking it slowly," he started, "dinner and a movie with you qualifies, right? We can spend the evening relaxing at the condo?"

"Oh, I think definitely," she smiled to him. "We're not to the overnight guest stage, at least as I discussed with Rusty," she smiled again, "but, I mean, who could argue if you and I happen to fall asleep on the couch tonight together?"

"Ahh, I see," Andy nodded as he held back a smile. "Well, then, let's grab my car."

Sharon looked to him with an odd expression wondering how he'd jumped from one topic to another; she wasn't seeing their similarities. "How so?"

He shrugged, "I've got my toiletry bag I keep in the car, you know, when we work long cases. I probably should bring it to you know, brush my teeth after we eat."

Sharon pursed her lips as she held back her own smile, "That's very good planning, very hygienic of you."

He grinned, "Just promise me I get my Sharon tonight, not the overly flirty, trying too hard Sharon. She gets flustered easily around me. My Sharon," he flashed an even bigger smile, "she's amazing when she's just being herself. I really care about her. I'd really like to enjoy an evening with her."

Sharon finally broke into a full smile, as she flipped her hair deliberately, "Oh, I think that can be arranged. I've been told I'm terrible at flirting," she flashed a smile to him. "So, knowing that, I guess you're stuck with me," she shrugged. "No one else would ever pick up on my poor attempts to flirt, so I guess it's just you with me."

"Well," he pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it again, "what's the saying? I'll take one for the team?" he winked. "Sweetheart, I wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else."


End file.
